Age: 32 Test Caps: 92 Bat Avg: 52.33 Bowl Avg: 37.43 Ashes series played 3
Australia’s captain has been one of the best batsman in world cricket in the past year, winning Wisden’s cricketer of the year award. As captain he has presided over turmoil in recent months, though, with the fall-out from the homework suspension saga dogging his team. Averages 45 against England but carries a heavy burden with the rest of the top order having limited Test experience beyond Shane Watson Photograph: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images
Age: 30 Test Caps: 17 Bat Avg: 32.90
The obdurate opener has had a steady start to his Test career, but may provide the perfect foil for David Warner’s more aggressive style. Currently playing county cricket at Trent Bridge, he has played cricket all over the world, including the Netherlands, and has expressed his frustration that having a degree (and a masters in applied finance) led to him battling to be seen as hard enough to play top-level cricket Photograph: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images
Age: 26 Test Caps: 19 Bat Avg: 39.46 Bowl Avg: 51.25
Warner famously made his international Test debut in 2011 having not played a domestic game, but quietened the cynics who thought his style would not suit Test cricket with two centuries in his first five Tests. The second was an innings of 180 off just 159 balls against India Photograph: Paul Kane/Getty Images
Age: 24 Test Caps: 24 Bat Avg: 33.00 Ashes series played 2
Endured a torrid first Ashes, the left-hander flailing against Andrew Flintoff on his last visit to England. Ended up announcing via Twitter that he had been dropped from the third Test. It didn’t get much better in the home series in 2010-11 when the opener replaced Simon Katich for three Tests. Currently averages 17.11 in Tests against England Photograph: Marianna Massey/Getty Images
Age: 31 Test Caps: 41 Bat Avg: 35.34 Bowl Avg: 30.06 Ashes series played 2
From being dropped for not doing his homework in India this spring to being captain for the next Test in Clarke’s absence after a row that dominated the Australian media, Watson has been in a difficult position. The situation has been compounded by his relinquishing of the vice-captaincy and poor form. Does have a relatively decent Ashes record, averaging 48 in the last series but when playing as a specialist batsman in India managed just 99 runs at 16.50. Is hoping his fragile body will enable him to resume bowling in Test cricket for the Ashes Photograph: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images
Age: 25 Test Caps: 12 Bat Avg: 34.61
Made his Test debut in the West Indies 12 months ago with Brad Haddin absent, hitting his maiden century in the third Test of that series. Struggled with his glovework in Tests against South Africa and Sri Lanka towards the end of the year, though, and demoted behind Haddin in this tour squad Photograph: William West/AFP/Getty Images
Age: 35 Test Caps: 44 Bat Avg: 35.50 Ashes series played 2
After a year playing second fiddle to Matthew Wade, the veteran keeper is now back as the first-choice gloveman having taken the vice captaincy over from Shane Watson. Haddin averaged more than 50 in Sheffield Shield cricket last season and was reportedly a calming influence when called up to the India tour last month. Scored a century on his Ashes debut in Cardiff in 2009 Photograph: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images
Age: 25 Test Caps: 22 Bat Avg: 14.50 Bowl Avg: 33.18
Australia’s first choice off-spinner from a sparse cupboard is the only front-line spinner in the squad. Is the latest in a long line of Shane Warne replacements, and has done a largely solid job since his debut in August 2011, spotted with a bit of the spectacular, including his first Test against Sri Lanka when he took five wickets in the first innings Photograph: Robert Prezioso/Getty Images
Age: 22 Test Caps: 10 Bat Avg: 28.70 Bowl Avg: 23.37
Currently injured, missing the IPL after surgery on a lower abdominal problem. One of the homework four dropped by Clarke and Mickey Arthur in India this spring, but still only 22, has 40 wickets in 10 Tests and, if fit and selected, could be the main threat to England’s batsmen with his pace. Took a five-for against New Zealand on debut in 2011. Much younger brother of Darren, who played a sole Test for England against South Africa in 2008 Photograph: Chris Hyde/Getty Images
Age: 28 Test Caps: 41 Bat Avg: 15.76 Bowl Avg: 28.84Ashes series played 2
The toiling fast-bowler has performed well in past Ashes, including a hat-trick on his birthday at The Gabba in 2010 on the opening day of the series, and held things together (as far as he could in a 4-0 series defeat) in India setting records for a No9 batting in a Test. Photograph: Scott Barbour/Getty Images
Age: 23 Test Caps: 9 Bat Avg: 32.70 Bowl Avg: 34.03
Like James Pattinson, the left-arm seamer has plenty of pace and may thrive in English conditions, but can be expensive at times and is also recovering from injury, flying home from India before the final Test in March to undergo ankle surgery Photograph: Matt King/Getty Images
Age: 26 Test Caps: 6 Bat Avg: 29.22
He had a promising debut filling in for the injured Ricky Ponting against England at the SCG in 2011 but has yet to fulfil his promise and has not been selected to play in a Test since the end of 2011. Another member of the “missing homework” quartet in India Photograph: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images
Age: 22 Test caps: 0 Bowl Avg (first class) 22.34 Bat Avg 29.11
A selection from left-field. The bowling all-rounder has taken 125 wickets at 22.34 in first-class matches for Tasmania and in one-day cricket for Australia, has eight wickets at 26.37 from five one-day internationals. He also has three Twenty20 caps, in which he took three wickets at 17.50 Photograph: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images
Age: 33 Test caps: 12 Bat Avg 17.66 (Tests) 19.20 (first class) Bowl Avg 23.63 (Tests) 27.41 (first class) Ashes series played 1
Has suffered terrible injury problems since making his debut at 29 in 2009. In the last Ashes, took nine wickets in the third Test in Perth, the only Test that Australia one in that series. Has a chronic knee injury that has to be managed and last played a Test in the West Indies in April 2012. Photograph: Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images
Age: 26 Test caps: 2 Bowl Avg 16.18 Bat Avg 6
Bird had a lower back problem that ruled him out of the tour to India earlier this year, having won promotion to the national squad for the Boxing Day Test at the end of last year. He had started the 2012-13 Shield season superbly again after being the leading wicket taker in domestic cricket the previous year Photograph: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images
Age: 35 Test caps: 1 Bat Avg 9.50 (Tests) 50.01 (first class)
Currently playing at Middlesex, the veteran batsman's experience of English conditions seems to have won him the nod, five years after he won his first and only Test cap against India at the WACA in 2008 Photograph: Morne de Klerk/Getty Images
