Test Match Special - Project Ashes Ep 4: Family Planning

Episode Date: November 26, 2021

For the last 12 months, Jonathan Agnew has been given exclusive behind-the-scenes access to the England men’s cricket team’s planning to win back the Ashes. Throughout the year, Aggers has spoken to key players, including Joe Root, Stuart Broad, Jimmy Anderson, but also those less known names who play crucial roles. In Episode Four, with the Ashes in doubt due to concerns around quarantine rules for players’ families, Aggers speaks to England bowler Mark Wood and his wife Sarah, to find out what impact being an international cricketer has on a family life.

This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the UK. Bring more gear, carry more passengers, face greater challenges. Welcome to the world of Defender, with seating up to eight, ample cargo space and legendary off-road capability. It's built to make the most of every adventure. Learn more at landrover.ca. The Ashes is the ultimate prize in English cricket. Bright bowled, the middle stands out of the ground. England have won. Willis runs around, punching the air.

Australia has been bowled out for 60 and Stuart Broad has taken 8 for 15. England have only won once in Australia in the last 34 years. Eight series, one victory. And it's all over. England out for just 79. They have crashed to an horrendous defeat here. It's pushed into the offside by Vince.

Close. Close. Oh, direct hit and I think Vince is gone. But this Ashes series very nearly didn't happen, given that England's players didn't want to tour without their families. We're very well as players that we stand a better chance of winning in Australia if our families are allowed to come for a certain period of time without quarantining. We've tried to have good at honest conversations with the ECB and have,

but if there's no information, available to them then makes things very difficult. So what's it like being the other half of an England cricketer? What does it mean to the players to have their families there? When you're married, you're in a partnership, so you do things together, you make decisions together, you share in the responsibilities, and when you're not there at all dependent upon me.

I actually have them there with me, it's not just about me, I'd love them to have that experience as well. Watch me get out David Warner and stuff in Australia, then go to the beach together and celebrate. That would be fantastic. This is Project Ashes. It's late July. England have lost the series against New Zealand,

but are preparing to take on India. Due to the team's COVID regulations, players aren't allowed inside venues this close to a start of a series. So I met up with Stuart Broad outside. We'll get too close, but I'll do it from here. Right, well, Stuart, here we are in the pub. All seems nice and relaxed.

you're ready to go for India? I am, yes. It's actually been a really unique... This isn't any old pub we've chosen. Broad runs it with Harry Gurney. It's a lovely large beer garden outside. And this place, I mean, it looks a bit like a man with an eye in the future, maybe. Is that what it is? What, the pub?

Well, I mean, Harry's obviously retired this summer through injuring, taken a real hands-on approach with the pub, which he's really enjoyed. I think, you know, when you get to 35, you'd be duff to not sort of plan for the future slightly. I mean, that's not saying that I have any plans in stopping just yet. I've found a bit of a new lease of life in the last couple of years from re-revamping my run-up slightly. And I think the setup around the England test team at the minute, although we struggled against New Zealand, it's young, it's vibrant, it's energetic, and there's some talent there. So you get encouraged by the environment you're in a lot of the time. So I certainly have aims to, I don't really set any

limits anymore. I went through a period. If you'd have asked me at 26, I'd have said, nah, I'll be done at 32. But the last couple of years has sort of taught me that if I don't look too far ahead and just play and enjoy it, then I can have decent success. So, no, I mean, I'm not looking at any further than next winter at the moment, this winter coming, but I feel fit, I feel fresh and just keep enjoying it while I can. And are you looking ahead to the winter at the moment? I mean, this India series is clearly huge, it's enormous series. And it always is, let alone what happened in the winter when England were beaten, of course.

But there is the ashes to follow. And is it easy not to just drift into that area, you know, with even with India around the corner? I think it's one of the toughest things as an England cricketer to not focus on the ashes before it comes. You know, I think our media do talk about the ashes naturally because it's the biggest series in our sport. So, of course, we're very aware as a team that we're building up for an Ashes series in Australia and to go and try and regain the ashes. And as of today, then, where are we with rest and rotation? Which doesn't seem to be very popular with the players, frankly.

I mean, I've talked a number of fast-blowers in the course of this. And I wouldn't say, people seem, people want to play. It's a cap. And it just seems that over the last few weeks, maybe that question of rotating players might just have eased down a bit. What are you expecting over the next few weeks? Yeah, I think it's been really harsh on Joe Root, if I'm honest. you know a guy who pretty much hasn't been able to have his strongest side out as an

England captain for quite some time because and to be honest it's nothing about workloads it's nothing about the physicality of it's all the mental side of COVID bubbles I think it's all been about protecting guys mental health through being locked in hotel rooms really and and you know we did 10 weeks in India and Sri Lanka just after Christmas and then a few of the guys had IPL stints which got cut short and it's quarantining. I think when Josh got back from the IPL, he told me he'd done a month in his hotel room on his own quarantining in 2021 alone, which when you actually say that, that's just crazy, isn't it?

That's really tough. So I think the ECB have really taken care of the players' mental health in the rest and rotation, but now you're getting into crunch time, aren't you? You're getting into crunch series with India and Australia. I think the team's got to start gathering some momentum, and how do you gather momentum? You play your best team and you win. So we're having to pick bigger squads

because of COVID issues and bubbling still, which we were hopeful that we wouldn't have to do for the India series. But, you know, I think we're past the stage of seeing what players can do. We're at the business end where we need to win. And are you, I mean, again, not for sure, I guess, but are you bubbling? Are you prepared to bubble again for this whole India series? we're trying to keep ourselves cheery by doing two weeks a time at the minute in the sense that we're only looking at the first two test matches and that is the same as the one day group have done through the through july of not allowed to go to restaurants we'll have a team room that will be outside so not allowed to socialise inside we have to take individual cars everywhere so no team bus basically to if we can have the mentality that we've not been a close contact with any of our teammates then

if someone gets it, hopefully it doesn't spread throughout the group. So I feel, as I guess his eye watch, obviously doesn't know what the word silent means. So I do feel for Tom Harrison and Ashijars with how much COVID has changed and sort of developed and moved because we all know that we're having to protect the player's safety mainly for the TV money, aren't we, and for how much an Indian test series means to the ECB. And we saw how important it was to get the cricket on last summer and how that's sort of helped the game so much. So as players, we have a big responsibility to look after ourselves

and keep ourselves and our families safe. But also we need to be able to see our families because, as I mentioned about Joss having so much time in hotel rooms, he's not alone. What did he do in there? I mean, I remember my phone, Chris Wokes, when he was in quarantine and Johnny Baxter, actually, as well, see how they're getting on.

And, you know, Chris is quite philosophical about it because that's Chris, isn't it? I think Johnny's a bit more wired. But I mean, what have they doing? How do they spend their time? Yeah, I mean, we did it in Sri Lanka and India as well, where we had to quarantine in our rooms, and we tried to start the morning with, like, an hour's palates or something on Zoom,

so you sort of get a little bit of interaction going. A bit of call of duty, that kind of kills a bit of time. I think I completed Netflix in India, to be honest. You know, it's one of those when you met each other at the ground. Oh, what you're watching? You had done that. Oh, what about that? No, I've watched that.

Oh, this one's good? Yeah, watch that. So, yeah, it's strange. Long, dude. It's strange, yeah, it's long. And, you know, I've not done the Australia one that's 14 days, hard quarantine, and New Zealand, which I know quite a few of the guys have done. And I think that really tests you. But, yeah, it's one of those things that we have to do in this sort of COVID world.

But we just, you know, if you start looking too far ahead at what Australia might look like and stuff, it can get a bit worrying. I think you just have to say, right, let's get these two weeks over. right, we've done that, right, what's next, these next two weeks. So I'm trying to have a real short-term mindset. And yet it's there. I mean, there is a lot of uncertainty about Australia. And so where are you at the moment?

I mean, how would you say the players are feeling about the possibility, at least, of not being able to have any families out there? I mean, is that causing an issue, do you think? That will cause an issue, absolutely, yeah. I mean, it's, I think the players would be very nervous about the possibility of families not going because not so much that you might not see your family, or your kids for four months but it's actually I felt like an indie we might have run out of steam a little bit

we obviously play brilliant in Sri Lanka the first test and the last couple of weeks it's doing the same thing hotel room cricket ground hotel room cricket ground seeing the same people without you know it's like you've toured for a few years um having that release of going out for a meal with emma or just having that mental release of seeing your kids or really helps with you on the field and that's quite hard to explain. I don't know what it is, but it really does help you to perform. So we're very well aware as players

that we stand a better chance of winning in Australia if our families are allowed to come for a certain period of time without quarantining. So I would say the ball is in the ECB and the ACB's court at the moment. Well, that was interesting and very deliberate from broad. It became increasingly clear as the summer wore on that many had significant reservations about touring Australia

if their families couldn't go with them. I caught up with Jimmy Anderson before the first test. I've done that trip before without my family, and it was tough. But I think for me, I'm in a very different position to a lot of other people. My family, they are young, but a little bit older than some guys have got very young children. Some have got pregnant wives as well. So that in itself makes it difficult for those guys. For me, it would be something where I'd have to sit down with my family.

They're always great and a great sounding board. I think that my wife in particular will be keen for me to go. She'll know it's more than nightly my last tour to Australia, so I'm sure she'll be on the positive side. But yeah, it's still all up in the air, so we just don't know what's going to happen with that. But in this environment, teams and so on, you know, very, very close together and not a lot of oxygen around,

how are you going to stop that becoming, I don't know, a real distraction and perhaps worse during the course of this series? Well, we've already had conversations with the ECB, and they've stated very clearly that they're doing their bit for us. The players have put their point of view across and the ECB are now dealing with that issue behind the scenes so that we can focus fully on this India series ahead of us because I think that generally in the series, particularly against India,

there's always distractions and the fewer the better really, so we don't need this hanging over us throughout this series. But of course it did hang over the series with the captain playing a textbook, straight bat, every time I try. We're still waiting on a bit more information and we need to keep working closely with the ECB and until we really have that. There are very, again, very important conversations

that need to continue to keep happening. We have to find out the lay of the land before we can really make any big decisions as a group of players. Until we have that information, what more can we do? We've tried to have good, honest conversations with the ECB and have clear lines of communication with there. but if there's no information available to them

then makes things very difficult yes of course do you have any sort of time in mind where you really are going to say look we have to know by X what's going on here hopefully that'll be the case in the foreseeable future in the short term but I can't give you a date Doss Butler says that he wouldn't want to go on the tour

if his family couldn't go with him would England travel with a below-strength team could the series be postponed for a year things started escalating. Some news just in, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison says there will be no special deals for the England players' families to travel with the team for this winter's Ashes series.

Boris Johnson had asked him to ease the country's strict quarantine rules. I would love to see the Ashes go ahead, as I shared with Boris last night, but there's no special deals there. When it comes to their profession, which is playing cricket, I don't see the difference between that and someone who's coming as a skilled, qualified engineer or someone who's coming to be ready for studying.

A summer turn to autumn at home and winter turned to spring down under, Australian captain Tim Payne, remember him, made his thoughts known on his S-E-N Hobart podcast. The ashes are going ahead. The first test on December 8 and whether Joe's here or not, to be honest with this, so they're trying to get themselves the best possible conditions that they can get. But at the end of the day we all are and we don't want to give them poor conditions because we're going to be in the same boat as then. it'll be worked out as we've said many times above us and then they'll have a choice to make you either get on that plane or you don't but no one's forcing you to come no one's forcing any england play to come that's the beauty of the world we live in you have a choice if you don't want to come don't come if you do you represent your country and play in an ashes series which joe root said that's what they all want to do that's what they dream about doing then come and do it well pain was right the ashes will go ahead whether tim pain's there or not as just a few days later the ashes is on the men's

Ashes is on. The ECB board has met today and given its approval for the tour to go ahead. It was a triumph of cricketing diplomacy between the two boards. The players would be able to travel with their families, providing they serve two weeks of softer quarantine. After three days confined to their room, they were able to move around the team hotel as well as go out and train. So what's life like for players on tour, especially this year of all years? And what's it like for their families left without their partners, their fathers for so long? Back in April, I headed up to Durham to speak to Mark Wood and his wife, Sarah. It's very rare that we get a chance to interview the partner of a player,

so I was keen to know what it's like being the unseen support for an England cricketer, what it's like when he's away for months on end, but also what it's like when he joined the tour and how much more complicated things are when you've got a child. Their son Harry will celebrate his third birthday in Australia. Once again, restrictions meant we all had to sit outside the cafe where we had our lunch. I'll have one. They just put it on our tab, though.

They didn't put it in there. Which is like filly cheese, bacon, tomato. Wood hasn't bowled a ball in an ashes test since taking the winning wicket back in 2015. As Wood springs into action, goes wide to the crease. Bowled is! Hold him! And England have regained the ashes.

And lion's stumps are shattered. England are in little groups jumping up and down. As an Englishman, playing against Australia is one of our biggest things you can do. I've played a lot of one-day cricket against them, had some success. A lot of success as a team, some success individually. So I'd like to test myself against them again at the highest level. I was a bit naive and young, not in terms of age, but in terms of young, in terms of my test career.

I just started, it was all fresh, I didn't take it all in, and I'd love to have another go at it. I think I'm, you know, a different ball out of what I was then. I've changed quite a bit. I've got a lot more self-belief. I had a lot of belief inwardly in myself at the time, but because I wasn't putting the performances together, I think that's sort of not my confidence. And ultimately, every time I was getting back in the team,

I was trying too hard. But I was now, ever since I've changed my runoff, the St. Lucia test and the Johannesburg test to get those firefighters in the bag and, you know, feel like I am in England cricketer and, you know, come up against this baggy green. thing that they keep talking about. We'll be having my baggy blues on. I'd love to, you know, stick one up them. Yeah, yeah. How important is it that Sarah and the families are able to come

to Australia? That would be a big deal for me. Of course, obviously at the minute where we're talking about this, it's probably too early to say with safety and things out with the way it is around the planet. But, you know, it would be a big deal for me to have my son and my wife there. It would be a long tour. We've just spent, you know, South Africa a couple of weeks off into Sri Lanka. I had a week off, then I went into six weeks in India. So it's a long time away from home and to go to Australia for such a long time where you're on the other side of the world, you're very lucky in the fact we've got FaceTime and things that, so you can't keep in touch. But my son Harry gets bored with FaceTime within 10 seconds. So it's great for the first 10 seconds

and he's had enough. So I actually have them there with me to be able to allow him and Sarah to have that sort of experience in life to go to Australia. It's not just about me. I'd love them to have that experience as well. Watch me, you know, get out David Warner and stuff in Australia. Then, you know, go at the beach together and celebrate. That would be fantastic. So I'd be very lucky to be able to achieve that.

And I hope that with the world it is, the way it is, you know, it's not just about going away on holiday. I hope for safety reasons, everything's okay. And we can get out there as a family. And when I'm on at cricket, I'm switched on with that. But away from cricket, you're not just counting the walls, like in the pictures on the wall like I have been. When I've been away this time,

I can actually have my family there and mentally it can help you then on the field because then you know when you're at cricket you're switched on when you're away you can spend time and completely switch off of your family well Sarah's listening to that it's not an easy business is it being a cricketer's wife um well it has its ups and its downs but you know I like I support Mark and what he does and I'm really proud of them and I've enjoyed watching and play cricket and you know being a part of sort of historic events like the World Cup and the Ashes. Were you there for the World Cup?

Yeah, I was there for the World Cup. Heavly pregnant. I had to sit down. Sit down, Sarah. Can you see her? Yeah, well, at one point, so we knew where the families were. And obviously Sarah's heavily pregnant. And I could see that like, I also like pat her on the back trying to say calm down and stuff.

So it was a bit of a roller coaster for you. I mean, we obviously celebrated in the night. Sarah was so shattered by the end. I was so tired. But normally you tend to be like quite tame on yourself. celebrating at the cricket, but at the World Cup was a different level. Honestly, we were up behind. He was a teatel though, isn't he? He must have behaved himself.

Oh, yeah. He's there. He doesn't eat drink. He's up behind enough as it is without drink. That's for sure. I would love to see you drunk. I mean, did you have any idea of what it was actually going to be like when he got married? I mean, do you know what the distances and the times and the months and so on would be like? Yes. Well, we've been together for about, was it? four years before we got married. And when I first met Mark, I knew nothing about cricket, hadn't a clue.

And then when he started playing for England, I started going to watch him play, and kind of got an idea of what that world was all about. And then from that, you just kind of go with it, and it becomes your life as well as theirs when you're having to live alongside their schedule of them playing away in the summer in this country and then going abroad in the winter.

So, you know, when we got married, I knew what I was let myself in for. But it was harder originally, wasn't it? Because you were a schoolteacher. Yeah, that's... Trying to fit around the holidays, but also me being away and trying to work it like that. It was quite hard, wasn't it?

Yeah, because obviously when you're working, you're restricted to how much time you can get off yourself. And that was, like, something that we discussed, wasn't it, of how we're going to make this work? When I'm working full time, I only get a certain amount of holidays to try and come away in Seymourke, play cricket or play cricket in this country and play abroad.

So we decided that I would make the sacrifice to become more flexible in my job and become a supply teacher. So then I could pick and choose when I would just like work alongside being able to see you play cricket. Yeah, but now a mother as well though. I mean, that's quite a long time with a very lively, I'd imagine he was anything like his father.

A lively little boy and quite difficult, you know, it is you and him, isn't it? Yeah, that's it. I think, like, now we're so invested in our family. Like, your priority is completely changed when you have a little one that the time that you've got together is pretty precious because he's away from home, Mark's away from home for a long period of time. So, yeah, it's just trying to get that balance, isn't it? and sometimes when Mark's away,

it'll miss out on little things, little milestones that Harry's doing, taking his first steps and saying his first word. But I suppose, you know, they're the sacrifices you have to make when you're playing for your country. It wasn't. It is sad missing out, though, isn't it? How did you feel?

Yeah, no, it is sad. Like I mentioned before, like that fear of missing out. Sarah, of course, keeps me updated with pictures and videos every day, which, of course, is lovely. But then at the same time, I mean, it lasts for, minute where you look the video and you think wow that's awesome and then you think oh I wish I was there and then of course that that is hard but not just hard for me it's hard for Sarah as well we've getting used to doing this parent thing together and then of course

when I'm not there she has to completely change the dynamic and the routine I think that's the hardest thing is the routine changes at home and then of course when I come back the routine changes again and that we always tend to argue in the first week don't because I'm still in hotel life and trying to get back to home life well I think my wife's the same I mean, I think she looks forward to me going back. But I think she's always a little bit anxious about how it's going to be those first few days because you are suddenly back in the room again from hotel life for months and so on. Yeah, definitely.

It's just trying to get back into that household routine and taking on your responsibilities around the house, giving us a hand. But I would say when you go away for, like, say the first three weeks you're away, I treat it like a holiday because I get a bit of a break. I get the best of the rest of that. I get the watch what I want on the telly. Yeah, so, but then after, like, say, three weeks, I start counting down the days till he comes home.

And then, yeah, when you are home, it takes a little adjusting, but it's great. Worst bit for me is counting to going away, actually. Don't you feel it, it's all looming there. It's like, you know you're going to the hospital or no you're going to the dentist. There's something gnawring away, and it takes a little, oh, oh, you know,

because I'm going away again. It's just there. Yeah. Do you find that? Well, when I had Harry, Mark was home for about six weeks before you went on tour out of South Africa and the week before you went I was counting down the days thinking oh God he's going he's going I'm going to be left on my own with a baby

and what's it going to be like and all of that and then the day that you left I think out of all the days that you leave to go away was the worst day yeah because like I say when you have a child your dynamic changes your priorities change and you look at things so differently whereas before I heard Harry and you would go on to her I'd be going, yes, piece that last

get yourself away, I'll be thrown the bags out the door Is he as lively at home as we as we see him playing cricket? Oh yeah, yeah, every day. Easy, Sarah, easy. Every day. Singing, they're dancing in the kitchen. It's just because of my son that though, I don't actually... that's the thing I'm worried about obviously is when I do go away on tour

now he's getting a little bit older he's starting to understand a little bit more you know when you start to pack your bags like for me and me and me and Sarah we know I'm going but he doesn't quite understand yet so when he starts to realize that you know when I get the cricket bats out he may start to think that's sad because that he knows that I'm going away so I'm not looking forward to that bit but the thing is though I find that as time goes on it starts just becoming the norm. Like Harry will get used

to the fact that you go away all the time. It's just going to be what happens all the time. Not that it makes it any easier but obviously... With my entry record you'd probably not have to wait that long so. It'll be Harry. No, we're not talking about injuries

anymore. We didn't get the chance to speak to players' wives very often. So there's been groups of wives and girlfriends over the years been quite competitive, I think, you know, amongst themselves a little bit as well, and quite, you know, sort of defensive of their husbands and that sort of thing. What's the atmosphere like with these? Oh, the girls are great. We're all get along really well and we're all very supportive of each other. We've all kind of going through the same thing as well

because there's just been a massive baby boom. We've all having babies and kids. We're all got married around the same time and then we've all had kids at the same time. So we're really do just share and that that's like what common sort of thing amongst ourselves and yeah I would just say that we're really like just really supportive because we'll all know what it's like sometimes you go through hard times like if your husband's down and there's something that's like getting to them a bit you know they're they're listening and they're there and yeah they kind of you kind of can relate yeah we've got the WhatsApp group we've got the WhatsApp group and we're always chatting the WhatsApp group, we're always

checking on each other and see how we're all getting on. I think that's the thing I'm looking forward to the most, is, like Sarah mentioned there, we've all had kids around the same age, we all got married around the same age, and with lockdown and stuff, the kids haven't been able to play with each other. So, you know, Josh shows me

videos of his daughter and, you know, I show him videos of my son and Woxy and we all share with our kids and I can't wait for them to be able all play together actually and be together on the field and things that are That would be pretty special. It's easy.

The good times are easy, aren't they? They're winning the World Cup or whatever. We go out and have a great time. How do you cope when he's been dropped or when he thinks he might be dropped or when there's a big black cloud hanging overhead? How do you cope with that? I think we just, you know, I support him the best I can. I try and reassure him.

And we're just distracted, don't? I take your mind of things. And it's nice when you, if something happens like that and you come home, we do things to just take your mind off it. kind of just sit and dwell, can you? Well, I'm not great at that, but I remember Sarah actually helped me on the bowling machine once and was criticising

my baton. Well, that wasn't very good, was it? Well, you were feeding the bowling machine? Yeah, she was feeding. So we went to the local indoor centre, and it was before the South Africa tour, actually. And my dad and a guy called Steve Chapman, who was at Durham, they were the

main guys who would feed me, and they couldn't get there that day, so Sarah came along. And, of course, then I went to South Africa, and I got some runs and Sarah well that's because of me see I was giving you so she wants to be my personal batting coach now which uh which I hope and if if I'm batten when you're listening this in Australia I hope I've managed to get some and no doubt she'll be taking the credit again yeah yeah the thing is so when you do go through sort of injuries or um sort of like being dropped and in whatnot it's hard for me to kind of understand what's that what that's

like because you have to try and visualize yourself in those shoes I'm just an outsider like looking in so you've got just got to do and it's so public too isn't it I mean everyone's talking about it but I mean he feel like everyone's talking about it yeah this is it and with the social media and things like that I think the best advice is just to for Markman he's gone through moments like that it's just to switch off from social media just do you and not really think too much about it because you can dig yourself into a deeper hole, can't you? So, but yeah, just try and distract and stay positive.

It's interesting, but you can see by listening to you, how you can see how your relationship works, I don't you? Because you're obviously very positive as well, aren't you? And you really see the good things in this relationship. Oh, yeah, definitely. And when he's on tour and whatnot, we try the best to have a good time, go to, like I say, nice places. And the worst things about it can be that when you're saying,

be that when you're say playing test cricket you're away for like five days so that's five days that you're going to be on your own for but in that in that time all the girls meet up and will organize to do things and go to the beach or you know go to the park and when you've got kids you're always out doing play dates and things like that to fill up your time and fill up your days it's just it's not always to be seen as a holiday as such and also there's like a curfew as well you have to be in the hotels by midnight. So because of that restriction, you're not always allowed to,

well, you can't go out and about, kind of here. I'm completely ruin your day, though, like, you've had a great day out. Like, if you switch away from the cricket, because you go to the cricket often, don't you? Like, go at the match. And then if you have, like, a couple hours away, and I've done badly in those couple hours,

I'll come back in, and I'm really annoyed and stuff and say, oh, we've had a great time. Oh, great, you've had a great time. I've gotten smashed all over. So sometimes it can be, it can affect. my mood and stuff if I've had a bad day but Sarah picks it up well when I'm away on two and I think that's the plus side of having your partner away with you and now my son if he comes is that you know you can completely switch off on that you can do other things

where you're not focused on that but it's hard for it was hard for Sarah in those places at times because you know although the girls are great and are friendly you know it's not like our best friend from home has gone with her or a mom you're joined together by the same thing that all the husbands and the boyfriends play cricket so you're sort of just trying to get along with people and trying to do different things but some people have children some people have other things so you're trying to find something to do in the day of that

rather than just sit in the hotel room but again we're very lucky it could be sat at home in the freezing cold rain here in Ashton and we get to go to fantastic places, great hotels I think when we go to visit like you on tour we're not a distraction as what some people

may think families are that when they're there they're a big distraction and it can affect the player's performance and things, but really from my experience I find that it has the opposite where, you know, when you come home to, we'll come back

to the hotel room, you're not coming to an empty room by yourself sitting with your thoughts, you're coming to say your loved ones, and there's nothing more happier than saying your son so ecstatic to say their dad and like arms wide open to give you a big cuddle at the end

of the day, whether the day is like good or bad. And because we've been amongst this sort of the cricketing will for such a long time, very understanding of your needs, of needing that time to switch off mentally, maybe having that time for yourself on your own, having an early night, you know what I mean? Or just sometimes when you're away for such a long time, there are things like tragedies and stuff that goes on that people wouldn't necessarily think about that you're not.

not there for all that you're not there to kind of support like say me through or if something happened to you and your side of the family I'm not there to support you because you're so far away and then as well when you're pregnant I know a lot of wives who have had babies and the husbands haven't been there because they've been playing cricket they're in Australia and you know you can get you can have a baby at any time you can come when it wants to come so even though you've got your due date you can miss out on those sort of especially moments as well which is like they're like downside to I think to work in a way I think but as well though when I'm when I'm when I'm when I'm it might be perceived that you know I'm away I'm going here

I'm going around the country I'm going there I'm going there but actually waking up day after day in the same house and like during lockdown and stuff yeah like whereas mentally I'm fresh because I'm doing something else then I'm coming back then I'm doing something then I'm coming back or Sarah has had that constant same you know almost deja vu wake up groundhog day kind of feeling which is you tough at times kind of like that but everybody's been through that and that's what's been difficult but to think that you know as a cricketer i've been lucky enough to be able to go somewhere or play cricket or do something that i enjoy whereas sarah's had to pick up the brunt of it at home and

continue that sort of family life without and like when i really think about it i think being together on tour is better being together than it is obviously like being apart and as much as that I might say it a lot when you are on tour, being at home without you is just I find it quite hard especially having Harry sometimes when it's been very long periods like you say it's like Groundhog Day every day and when you're married you're in a partnership so you do things together you make decisions together you share in like the responsibilities of your children and of your household and stuff like that and you make those decisions together and when you're not there, it's all kind of dependent upon me

because I'm the one that's looking after home. Well, it's an eye-opening inside, isn't it, into how hard, but also how rewarding life can be as the partner of a cricketer. Woods, one of ten players in England's 18-man squad to have never played a test in Australia. But what can they learn from previous tours? Australia's a wonderful country.

You feel like it is England versus Australia over there. It's not just England versus the Australian cricket team. It's England versus Australia. I think it was 2006, we went to Australia. We were talking about things like how we look when we get off the plane. We've got to be in suits to make sure we make a good impression when we get off the plane. Actually, who cares about that? It's about how you perform on the field.

You can't go to Australia, bunker down and have a lot of success. I think you do need that support system around. That's next time on Project Ashes. Match of the Day Top Ten Podcast Gary Linneker here to bring you a little message Match of the Day

Top Ten podcast is back once again exclusively on BBC Sounds It's too late for me now I'm out of time Yeah, it's too late at this I was going to get some more dates to match today then

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