BEN DUCKETT thought his England days had passed him by - but now he's ready to fight fire with fire and reclaim the Ashes urn Down Under next winter.
Andrew Strauss is the only England captain to bring the urn home since 1987 with the famous 3-1 victory in the 2010-11 series.
And that will be the enormity of the task facing Ben Stokes, and coach Brendon McCullum, as they look to cement their 'Bazball' legacy.
Coming home an Ashes winner would be the perfect redemption arc for Duckett, who was axed for pouring a drink over Jimmy Anderson in a Perth nightclub during the 2017-18 Ashes.
It was an infamous incident on an ill-fated tour that sparked the opener's six-year exile from the Test scene, which he has since stated was the "most awful period" of his life.
"The thought of going to Australia and bringing the urn home would be the highlight of my career," Duckett said.
"If I'm totally honest I probably came to terms with the fact I was never going to play Test cricket for England again.
"Careers and sport is all about timing.
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