When Chris Silverwood, in his newly created dual role as head coach and selector, announced the England squad for the Tests against New Zealand back in May, he preceded it with a curious statement.
“Playing the top two teams in the world, in New Zealand and India, is perfect preparation for us as we continue to improve and progress towards an Ashes series in Australia at the back end of the year.”
A bit odd, you might think, that Silverwood is mentioning Australia and the Ashes tour at the back end of the calendar as his side are about to embark on two home series against the number one a...