England Yet To Decide Ashes Team - Coach Mccullum

England person yet to determine connected nan 11 players who will play successful nan first Ashes Test against Australia, says coach Brendon McCullum.

The bid originates successful Perth connected 21 November and England are expected to person a mostly settled team.

One of nan fewer positions successful uncertainty is number three, pinch nan selectors having to determine whether to clasp vice-captain Ollie Pope aliases opt for 21-year-old Jacob Bethell.

The young left-hander scored his first master period successful Sunday's 3rd one-day world against South Africa.

"We've sewage a fewer different food to fry earlier we get there, but I deliberation we've said since we introduced Jacob that he's sewage a immense early successful beforehand of him," McCullum said.

"He's very quickly taken to world cricket and things person travel really quickly for him arsenic well.

"He's going to person immoderate life - 21 years of property and being capable to play for illustration he does, and person nan caput connected his shoulders that he's sewage too.

"He'll conscionable support moving difficult and we'll spot what unfolds."

Bethell, who scored 3 half-centuries astatine number 3 past wintertime erstwhile Pope dropped down nan bid to capable successful arsenic wicketkeeper, admitted connected Sunday he should person played much cricket this summer, having spent overmuch of it connected nan sidelines arsenic England's spare batter.

He will person nan chance to further his claims successful T20s against South Africa this week, positive 3 T20s and 3 ODIs successful New Zealand anterior to nan Ashes.

In betwixt those fixtures he will go nan youngest man to skipper England erstwhile he leads an under-strength broadside against Ireland later this month.

"It's a tremendous honour for him and we've put him successful that position because we consciousness he's sewage activity qualities," McCullum said.

Asked if he already had an Ashes XI successful his head, McCullum said: "No, not yet. We will activity retired that erstwhile we get to Australia."

Two players definite to play successful Perth are opener Ben Duckett and wicketkeeper Jamie Smith.

England person pulled some retired of this week's T20s against South Africa to let them a break earlier nan winter.

Duckett, successful particular, looked jaded during nan ODIs against South Africa that followed instantly aft The Hundred, which was preceded by nan gruelling five-Test bid against India.

"I said to him and said 'I deliberation you request to freshen up'," McCullum said.

"I'm successful nan racing crippled and not moreover Phar Lap [legendary Melbourne Cup-winning horse] tin spell astir each week. Even he needs to spell to nan paddock occasionally.

"He'll person a decent break astatine home, arsenic will Jamie Smith."

McCullum besides backed 22-year-old bowler Sonny Baker, who returned nan astir costly figures by an England debutant successful nan first ODI astatine Headingley connected Tuesday.

He did not characteristic successful nan pursuing 2 matches but is successful nan squad for nan T20s against nan Proteas and Ireland.

"He's bully - I've been really impressed pinch Sonny, to beryllium honest," McCullum added.

"The way, moreover successful that game, he kept moving successful and kept trying different things. I said to him earlier nan crippled and I reiterate it now, this is conscionable nan commencement for him.

"We wanted to springiness him a taste. We wanted to get him astir nan group and he'll beryllium a portion of nan squads moving forward.

"He's sewage an immense magnitude of talent and he bowls astatine good, precocious gait and is capable to plaything nan shot some ways.

"If we tin adhd immoderate trade and immoderate touch to that, arsenic he matures and experiences this level much often, he's conscionable going to support getting amended and better."

England's 342-run successful Southampton connected Sunday was nan biggest triumph successful position of runs successful ODI history, but they were convincingly beaten successful nan first 2 matches erstwhile nan bid was alive.

Five of England's players were incapable to train earlier nan bid opener because it was played truthful adjacent to The Hundred last - and McCullum said nan schedule "isn't ideal".

"It is nan first clip we've ever met personification connected nan greeting of a game," he said.

"But that's conscionable really it is and we've sewage to beryllium a spot much knowing of that and effort and find ways successful nan early to beryllium capable to effort and get up and going a small spot quicker."