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CRICKET ROADSHOWS

Week 8 Preview - 30 Jun, Chelmsford England squad to be named on Roadshow

The England squad for the opening Ashes Test will be announced live from Chelmsford on Channel 4's Cricket Roadshow this Saturday.

David Graveney, chairman of selectors, will name the team after meeting with captain Nasser Hussain, who hopes to continue his comeback from a broken thumb by playing for Essex against Australia.

The five-Test Ashes series kicks off at Edgbaston on July 5 and Graveney will be hoping to boost England's damaged morale by including four players – Hussain, Craig White, Ashley Giles and Graham Thorpe – forced to sit out the NatWest Series due to a variety of injuries.

If any of those should fail late fitness Tests it will be intriguing to see who gets the nod, with the likes of Owais Shah, Robert Croft and Ben Hollioake all pushing for inclusion.

Elsewhere on the show, the Ashes flavour will be maintained with a historical review provided by David Frith and interviews with former captains (and Essex stars) Graham Gooch, Keith Fletcher and Allan Border.

Simon Hughes will also be on hand as he looks ahead to the impending series and pinpoints where he thinks the Ashes can be won and lost, analysing both team's strengths and weaknesses.

It might seem that Australia don't have any obvious weaknesses – especially after their authoritative display in the NatWest Series – but England must go in with a positive outlook if they are to stand any chance of victory.

There seemed justifiable grounds for optimism just four weeks ago but England's lamentable showing in the one-day series has knocked confidence, with the bookies easing them from 4/1 to 7/1 in wake of their woes.

Do you think that's a true representation of England's chances or has there been a knee-jerk reaction to their one-day form? This is, after all, largely the same squad that has cultivated a five-series unbeaten run.

Email us with your views on how you think the Ashes will pan out. Do England really have any hope of beating the world's best team or will Steve Waugh's men revert to steamroller mode and mercilessly flatten all before them?

For those still hungry for more there's also a rock'n'roll-style trip down memory lane as the Roadshow looks back at 1987, the last time England had their hands on the famous little urn.

And while the 1st Test is still some days away, there will be footage from the other Ashes series taking place this summer – the women's series – which got underway at Shenley this week.

In addition, the Roadshow will carry all its usual news and features as Mark Nicholas and Sybil Ruscoe front up for the eighth programme of the summer.

Mail the Cricket Show team at cricketshow@cricket4.com

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