Overview

• England managing director Rob Key used the For The Love Of Cricket podcast to urge players to be smart and avoid getting caught doing “stupid things.”
• The five-Test Ashes series begins on November 21 in Perth, with Ben Stokes leading a 16-player squad that departs in November.
• Key recalled how scrutiny can snowball, citing a 2002 press conference by Nasser Hussain followed by a West Australian photo of John Crawley dropping a catch.
• Reports referenced prior off-field flashpoints from the 2017/18 tour, including allegations involving Jonny Bairstow and a separate incident with Ben Duckett and James Anderson.
• Key described the upcoming contest as potentially one of the best series and said the intense interest will demand heightened awareness from players.