Episode 35: Our Ashes XI (The Ashes, Part 3) - Why We Love Cricket

In Part 3 of our Ashes series, we reflect on almost 30 years of being cricket fans, and the players who’ve inspired us, shaped our love of the game, and delivered moments of both joy and agony.

To do that, we stick on our selectors caps and pick an Ashes XI drawn from our time as fans. Some choices come easily - Shane Warne, Steve Smith, Stuart Broad: shoo-ins, no debate needed.

Others, though, need a proper argument. Does Jimmy Anderson’s stellar Test career earn him a place when his Ashes record is so uneven, especially with Pat Cummins and Mitch Starc looming in the background? Can Joe Root realistically compete with Steve Waugh when the pairs Ashes numbers suggest the older man belongs on a higher shelf - and are those numbers even telling th ...