5 things England needs to do to prepare for the Ashes

3. Emphasis on fitness:

As much as I detest sounding like a fanatic of fitness regimes, this is one aspect England must really need to address before embarking on a rather long home series.

Inclement weather conditions might mean the outfield could be a bit greasy, so the fielders will have to tread carefully. England’s fast bowlers will also need to be handled carefully – a fact that is not lost on coach Andy Flower and skipper Alastair Cook. Hence, the fitness levels will need to be quite high for all the five matches.