Friday 26 July 2019 16:23, UK
As well as selecting an England team for the first Test at Edgbaston, Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain reacted to Australia's Ashes squad announcement on Friday.
David Warner, Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft - banned last year for their part in the ball-tampering scandal - have all been included in the 17-man party, though there is no spot for Alex Carey, despite impressing during the World Cup, and Nathan Lyon has been named as the sole spinner.
There are recalls for fast bowlers James Pattinson and Peter Siddle, while Josh Hazlewood is back in the squad following his recent back injury, and wicketkeeper Matthew Wade returns to the Test arena after an absence of two years.
Sky Sports Cricket pundit Mike Atherton says the tourists' strength lies very much in the seam department.
"It's a very eye-catching pace attack and just one spinner," he said.
"In fact in the comments, Trevor Hohns, that the chairman of selectors, made he said 'we've only selected one spinner but we think he's a world-class spinner, the best spinner in all conditions, but we see our strength in our pace attack'.
"If you look at Starc, Cummins, Hazlewood, Pattinson and Siddle, who has been around for a long time, it is an eye-catching pace attack.
"Then the three men who did serve a year ban [for their parts in the ball-tampering scandal]: Smith, Warner and Bancroft, they're all back to strengthen the batting.
"But I think they sense that this series is going to be won and lost on pace."
Fellow pundit Nasser Hussain concurred with Atherton's assessment but admitted he thought Alex Carey might have been included.
"I was a little bit surprised they went for [Matthew] Wade," he said. "Shane Warne speaks very highly of him and since he gave up the gloves in Australia he's been getting a lot of first-class runs but from what we saw of Carey during the World Cup, he wasn't just a white-ball hitter.
"He lined it up and showed a lot of guts and determination. So that will have been a hard decision.
"I completely agree with Ath though, their strength is at the top of the order with Warner and Smith, two very fine players, and that seam attack is one of the best in world cricket.
"Nathan Lyon - a regulation finger spinner with no doosra - is a proper off-spinner."
Watch every ball of the 2019 Ashes live on Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Main Event from Thursday, August 1.
