Root or Smith, Starc or Wood – Vaughan & McGrath pick combined Ashes XI

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It is exactly a month until the Ashes gets under way in Australia.

Many people think England have a real chance of a first victory down under since 2010-11 but how many of their players would make a combined XI?

Former England captain Michael Vaughan, legendary Australia fast bowler Glenn McGrath and ex-England spinner Phil Tufnell have picked their side on the latest Test Match Special podcast, choosing between the likes of Steve Smith and Joe Root, Mitchell Starc and Mark Wood. An XI from BBC Sport readers is also below.

And, to be clear, this was a head-to-head contest between the incumbents in each position meaning, for instance, selectors have to choose between Root and Smith rather than finding space for both.

Building a combined Ashes XI

Zak Crawley (England)

Missing out: Sam Konstas

Vaughan: I wouldn’t go with either of those two, I’d go with Mitchell Marsh.

If it’s between these two I’d go for Zak Crawley. Crawley is an impact player and England have stayed loyal with him for this moment.

Last time, he played a good innings in Sydney. He should suit the bounce in Australia and he does play the likes of [Pat] Cummins, [Mitchell] Starc and [Josh] Hazlewood well.

McGrath: Sam Konstas is just a young bloke coming through.

I went for Crawley. I quite like the way he goes about it and his attitude.

Tufnell: England are thinking if Crawley can play two or three match-winning innings, it doesn’t matter if he gets out early on [in the other innings].

They just want those three knocks that are going to really impact the game. I’m going for Crawley.

Ben Duckett

Missing out: Usman Khawaja

Vaughan: I am going Ben Duckett. Across the formats you could put forward a very strong case that he is, pound for pound, up there with the very best players in the world.

Tufnell: Duckett is one of the most exciting players I have seen for a long time. Gritty, determined and a cracking player.

McGrath: Uzzie has been great but he’s nearly 39. He still does well against spinners but against quicks, as you get older, you lose that sharpness.

Cameron Green (Australia)

Missing out: Ollie Pope

McGrath: Australia really want Green in the team. My feeling is they want to play him and [fellow all-rounder] Beau Webster.

I don’t think Green is 100% fit and I’m not sure he will start the first Test. Marnus Labuschagne will come in. He’s in fine form.

But, out of the options we have, I have gone for Cameron Green.

Vaughan: I would have gone for Marnus Labuschagne. Between Pope and Green, I would just go for Green because of his all-round abilities.

Tufnell: I’ve gone, just, for Ollie Pope. Green doesn’t really feel like a number three that is striking fear into me.

Steve Smith (Australia)

Missing out: Joe Root

Tufnell: Smith is an amazing player. He averages 60 in Australia and averages even more when captain, which he will do if Pat Cummins is injured.

But I have just got a feeling Joe Root is going to have an absolutely cracking series. I can see him getting three, even four hundreds.

McGrath: I’ve gone for Smith over Root. Root has never really scored big in Australia.

Vaughan: I’m looking at Steve Smith’s average of 60 in Australia with 18 hundreds and Joe Root’s average of 36.

Root is going to break Sachin Tendulkar’s Test run-scoring record and is the finest cricketer England have produced in terms of batting but I can’t look beyond Steve Smith.

Harry Brook (England)

Missing out: Travis Head

Vaughan: Travis Head has probably been Australia’s best player in the past couple of years. The Bazball way is the Travis Head way. He scores so quickly.

In Harry Brook England have a very special player. Because I am right on the fence I am going to pick the England player.

You could make a case that whoever has the better series could save the series for their team.

McGrath: It’s an incredibly tough one. I went for Harry Brook because he is such a special player but the more I think about it I am nearly drifting back to Travis Head, only because of the bigger boundaries in Australia.

Brook takes bowlers on but the extra distance in the field, he will have to navigate and adapt to that.

Tufnell: They are two powerhouses in that middle order.

The one perceived weakness with Harry Brook is the short ball just outside off stump and whether he wants to try taking on the hooks and pulls with the size of the grounds.

I went for Harry Brook – a once in a generation type player.

Ben Stokes (England)

Missing out: Beau Webster

Tufnell: Leader of the pack, back with the bat and was England’s best bowler during the summer. If he gets that going again and stays fit, he will have a wonderful series.

Vaughan: Beau Webster is a very good cricketer and he’ll offer different styles of innings. His bowling is interesting. He doesn’t bowl quick but he bowls this wobble seam.

But it’s an easy one. I have gone for Ben Stokes.

McGrath: Stokes will be one of the greats when he retires. Webster has had a great start for Australia and he will have a good series but when judging pound-for-pound you can’t go past Stokes.

Jamie Smith (England)

Missing out: Alex Carey

Vaughan: This is tough. Jamie Smith has had a great start to his England career. He tired towards the end of the India series which is a concern. Alex Carey has been Mr Consistent – a great team player.

I just see such a high ceiling with Jamie Smith. It’s a toss of a coin but I will go for Smith because of that.

Tufnell: It’s a very close-run thing but Jamie Smith, for me. He has the power and shots to really change the game.

It’s going to be interesting to see how he keeps over there because it’s tricky.

McGrath: I have gone for Alex Carey. He is consistent and reliable. You know what you are going to get.

Pat Cummins (Australia)

Missing out: Gus Atkinson

Vaughan: Gus Atkinson has been great. It is slightly unfair – he’s up against one of the greats.

Every time Australia have needed something in the past few years, Pat Cummins has delivered.

Tufnell: Atkinson has burst on to the scene and made himself very much at home but it has to be Pat Cummins.

McGrath: If Cummins is not playing it is a big blow to Australia. He is different from [Josh] Hazlewood and [Mitchell] Starc with the angles. The ball is always angling into off stump and then straightening off the pitch. He’s quality.

Nathan Lyon (Australia)

Missing out: Shoaib Bashir

Tufnell: Nathan Lyon is an absolute legend – a wonderful spin bowler. He has all of the tricks and knows how to bowl on every pitch in Australia. It’s a no-brainer.

McGrath: Lyon is just a quality player – a big part of the team. 562 Test wickets. That speaks volumes.

The only negative thing is where you had someone like Shane Warne who would just attack, Lyon can get a bit defensive. Apart from that he is up there with the best in the world.

Vaughan: It’s an easy one. Nathan Lyon is world-class and England don’t have a world-class spinner.

If England think they can play all of the shots and dance down to Nathan Lyon, he will have a really good time of it.

Mitchell Starc (Australia)

Missing out: Mark Wood

McGrath: I love Woody. He is a brilliant bowler who gives 100% every single second but Mitchell Starc for me, when he is on song, can destroy teams. He can blast teams out.

I always put Wasim Akram as the most skillful bowler I have seen and Starc is up there.

Tufnell: The variation, the experience, the footmarks for Nathan Lyon. Starc is a wonderful bowler. Swing and pace.

Vaughan: I am delighted Woody is on the plane. If England can get three Tests out of Mark Wood he will play a big part but you have to go for Mitchell Starc.

Josh Hazlewood (Australia)

Missing out: Jofra Archer

Vaughan: Jofra is going to create a huge impact for England but you can’t look beyond Josh Hazlewood. He is absolutely world class.

McGrath: Hazlewood is just quality. He just goes about his business and rarely bowls a bad ball. He flies under the radar.

Tufnell: Hazlewood just hits the top of off stump and keeps you honest all day long. He has the pace to worry you as well. You can’t look beyond Hazlewood.