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On another note i read something last week that had me questioning, how good are Starc, Cummins and Hazlewood really when they play together. 

What i read was that we have only won 1 series overseas in the past few years (10 was the figure i was told but not sure of this figure) when these guys have been our key bowlers. If that's the truth, then surely the selectors have to get smarter and not pick them away from home.

Wins away from home have been pretty rare for Australia in the last decade PH, no matter what bowlers they put on the park. The last series win away was the Pakistan one in 2022 but before that I think they beat the Windies in 2017 or 18, then Sri Lanka in 2016 and they had a win over NZ in 2016 and South Africa back when Mitchell Johnson was still playing.
Their home record is almost impeccable apart from a few series losses to India.
 

mikeh, I see Voges has been selected to oversee the up coming Aust A series v NZ. Not sure where players are in regards to fitness etc, but will be interesting to see the squad selected. Wonder if there will be many changes from Aust A squad that toured NZ before the Ashes?

Will the squad include the likes of Bancroft, Harris and Renshaw...or the next line down in Ward and Hunt as openers....with youngsters in Kellaway and Wyllie in the top/middle order.

Bowling wise, it will be interesting to see if Boland and Neser will be viewed as "too old" and the the likes of Richardson, Morris, Johnson, Perry, Buckingham etc as the future.......

Ideally it would be good to have a bit of a mix Freezin with Bancroft, Renshaw or Harris captaining the side with guys like Kellaway, Wylie and Hunt learning from them. The same may apply to the bowlers, I could see some value in having an experienced bowler in the squad to also guide the likes of Johnson, Meredith, Morris and Richardson ( if fit). Inglis as the number 2 keeper would also be keen on a good effort in this series as Carey didnt set the world on fire in the ashes  ( pardon the pun) particularly after Lords. Although the selection of Bairstow ahead of him in the Wisden "team of the series" was surely an English attempt at dry humour which they are pretty good at.

Late edit: After I wrote this I saw the Squads for a T20 and ODI tour of South Africa which is on at around the same time as the 'A' games and Spencer Johnson, Josh Inglis, Tanveer Sangha and Aaron Hardie have all been selected so that rules them out of Voges team

Just heard that Manus has been dropped from the initial ODI squad for the tours of South Africa and India but will be given a chance to prove his credentials for the World Cup via the Aust A matches and the Marsh Cup.
So theres one experienced player who will be in the A series, may be a few more.
I will start a new thread shortly because this doesnt fit under Ashes!

yes - rest in peace topic

Most Aussies are raised to beat England at test cricket in the ashes, but we only scrapped a draw because of England's mistakes -- dropped catches and no-balls, particularly in the first test. Added to this we had the Bairstow incident, which most in our country are too embarrassed to comment on. The WACA will have trouble selling memberships, family always taught me to be neurtral in the ashes rather like the Queen or King in Commonwealth internationals. Given all the luck Australia had, and the fact that it was a 2--2 draw, is it not worth questioning Cummings as a captain? Do we just say there is no one else? Taylor was probably our best captain, not all his sides were strong; Steve Waugh had a very strong side, possibly the two best bowlers the country has produced; he also lost a test match after enforcing the follow-on. 

Aust dropped  their fair share of catches during the series, especially in the 5th test Ark.....Eng choked in the first two tests....Aust choked at Headingley and the Oval...yeah Aust got lucky considering Cummins captaincy and the weather.....but Aust has taken better skippers and lost....it is what it is.