NASSER HUSSAIN (Essex, captain) Born: March 28, 1968

Under Nasser Hussain's captaincy, England have seen a revival in Test cricket that has enabled them to begin the ICC World Championship in third position in the table. Although he lost his first two series against New Zealand and South Africa, the Chennai-born batsman then led England to four successive series victories, the first England captain to do so since Mike Brearley in 1978/79. Although Hussain's success coincided with a lean spell with the bat, a century against Sri Lanka in Kandy earlier this year signalled a rosier outlook. He broke a finger in the Lord's Test against Pakistan, missing the Old Trafford Test and the entire one-day triangular series.

A cornerstone of England's batting, and still the man the opposition most want out of the way. Atherton has played 110 Tests, captaining his country a record 52 times, 11 more than Peter May. He hasn't yet scored a century on home soil against Australia, his one three-figure score against the old enemy coming in his 11th Test in Sydney more than 10 years ago. Of his 16 hundreds, his 10-hour, unbeaten 185 to save the Test against South Africa in Johannesburg is likely to be the most memorable.

Caddick is one of the world's most consistent new-ball bowlers, with height, bounce and away swing. With Darren Gough, he has formed one of England's finest-ever new-ball pairings. He appears to have benefited from the central contract system, which allows pace bowlers more rest between games. Caddick bowls particularly well to left-handers, and England will hope he has the measure of dangerous opponents like Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer and Adam Gilchrist.

Cork made a starring Test debut in 1994 at Lord's, taking seven for 43 against West Indies, and followed up with a hat-trick at Old Trafford in the same series. He has scored two half centuries in his 33 Tests. Always up and at the opposition, Cork had to prove his fitness after suffering back trouble, which forced him to return home early from the winter tour of Pakistan. He made a memorable batting contribution at Lord's last summer to secure England's Test victory over the West Indies that paved the way for their ultimate series win.

Despite a promising start to his Test career, Croft has played more of a one-day role since. A keen fisherman and Welsh speaker, his off-spin is based on changes of pace and flight. He is also a reliable lower order batsman who played a vital part in saving the 1998 Test against South Africa at Old Trafford, after which England won the next two matches to take the series.

Giles established himself as England's premier spin bowler in the 2000 series in Pakistan. The slow left-arm bowler played against South Africa in one Test in 1998, and not again until last winter when he took 17 wickets in the series with Pakistan. Achilles trouble has kept him out of the England frame so far this summer. He has been a member of England's one-day squad for three consecutive winters. A useful lower order batsman, Giles scored two hundreds for Warwickshire last season. Awarded an ECB contract for this season.

Described variously as England's heartbeat, soul and talisman, Gough is one of his country's vital players in any form of the game. England's spearhead bowler passed John Snow's England's haul of 202 wickets in the Lord's Test victory against Pakistan. He also did well in difficult conditions on both the winter tours, but in domestic conditions he can both seam and swing the ball at considerable pace, and he is a formidable opponent for any batsman.

Hoggard made his Test debut against West Indies at Lord's after fewer than 30 first class appearances, but had to wait until this summer to add to that appearance. He toured Pakistan and Sri Lanka last winter, but did not play in a Test, despite taking 17 wickets in two first class matches in Pakistan. Awarded an England contract this summer. Pacy with a consistent line, the Pudsey-born bowler has the chance to make a more permanent mark on the England set-up this summer.

Graham Thorpe's calf injury gave Shah the chance to show his worth at senior international level in the NatWest series. Shah, born in Karachi, made a half-century in the NatWest Series against Pakistan at Lord's, and displayed encouraging confidence and strokeplay. He toured Australia with England as a 17-year-old, and looked composed. After two relatively lean years, Shah spent last winter in Australia and his form has blossomed this season.

At 38 Alec is still the first choice for the role of batsman-wicketkeeper, and his inclusion gives England the chance to choose a fifth bowler, although they went for seven batsmen in the recent two-Test series against Pakistan. With Mike Atherton, the most-capped present England cricketer with 110 appearances. He scored a dazzling century on his 100th appearance at Old Trafford last summer, and hit two hundreds in the Barbados Test of 1994, becoming the first Englishman to achieve the feat against West Indies. Hussain's predecessor as captain can open or bat in the middle order, where his strokeplay is always likely to entertain.

Thorpe is in the form of his life, as three hundreds in the last seven Tests confirms. The mainstay of England's middle order, he is now rated their best all-round batsman, with an unerring ability to spot opportunities. The back problems which troubled him a couple of years ago seem to be a thing of the past, and his agility was no better demonstrated than by his inspired slip catching in the Lord's Test victory over Pakistan. In 1993 he became the first England batsmen to score a hundred on debut since Frank Hayes 20 years earlier, and against Australia at Trent Bridge. Hussain's absence through injury heralded Thorpe's promotion to the captaincy for the three internationals in Sri Lanka in March.

The find of last season, Trescothick has already established himself as one of the first names on the selectors' team sheet as a reliable opening partner for Michael Atherton. Showed rare maturity in dealing with wily spinners in Sri Lanka and Pakistan during the winter, making his maiden Test century against Sri Lanka in February - 122 out of a 253 total. He added to this with 117 against Pakistan at Old Trafford and threw in a one-day hundred in the NatWest Series, also against Pakistan, for good measure. Has good technique against the pacemen, which sees him deliberately playing inside the line of the ball moving away from the left-hander.

Vaughan achieved a major psychological breakthrough by scoring his maiden Test century in the Second Test against Pakistan at Old Trafford. He has always looked to have the ability and temperament to succeed at Test level, and now the three-figures stumbling block has been overcome, he should be a fixture in the England batting line-up for years to come. Had a baptism of fire when he came in with England on 2-4 in Johannesburg against the pace of Allan Donald and Shaun Pollock in November 1999. In the circumstances his 33 showed a lot of backbone, and even though England lost the series, Vaughan scored a vital 69 in England's last gasp victory in the final Test at Centurion Park. He can be a useful bowler of off breaks and is a fine fielder.

Ward made his Test debut in the recent series against Pakistan and looked the part. He opens the batting for Surrey but was put in down the order by England to try to coax as many runs as possible from the tail-enders. Ward completed his international apprenticeship on the last three England A tours to Bangladesh, New Zealand and West Indies, scoring consecutive centuries in Trinidad and Guyana and finishing the tour with 769 runs at an average of 64.08. A left-hander, he was released by Surrey in 1992, but re-signed in 1996 and is making the most of his second opportunity.

Recovering from back trouble that kept him out of the Test series against Pakistan and the NatWest Series, the Yorkshire-born all-rounder lends good shape to the England line-up. A deceptively fast bowler, he can reverse swing the old ball at speeds approaching 90mph. He is a hard-hitting batsman, capable of making useful runs at No 7 or 8. Was raised in Australia and represented their under-19 side as a wicketkeeper. His talents were first recognised by former chairman of selectors Ray Illingworth in 1994, but he did not return to the international arena until the current coach, Duncan Fletcher, saw an important England role for him.

STEPHEN WAUGH - Captain (New South Wales) Born: June 2, 1965
Right-hand batsman, right-arm medium

Led Australia to a record-breaking 16 Test wins in a row, including a 5-0 clean sweep against the West Indies last winter, as well as another world record of 14 one-day internationals without defeat after taking over as captain in early 1999. On top of that, he led Australia to a World Cup triumph in England. Has a Test century against all countries he has played against and one of only six Australians to have played 100 Tests. Comes into the UK tour on the verge of 9000 Test runs, a mark only bettered by Allan Border among Australians, while he has scored three Test centuries in his last six matches to take his tally to 25, with only Border and Sir Donald Bradman now ahead of him. Also the only Australian to have played more than 300 one-day internationals.

Once again proved his abilities as one of the best one-day batsmen in the world as he scored an unbeaten 87 to take Australia to victory in the deciding match of their series against India in Goa in April. Averaged 52.20 in last winter's Carlton Series against the West Indies and Zimbabwe following on from his stellar season with Sussex in 2000 where he achieved an amazing treble top by heading the batting averages in first-class cricket, the Benson & Hedges Cup and the Norwich Union National Cricket League. Now settled at number four in the Australian line-up after serving his apprenticeship down the order. A brilliant fielder in any position and, on his day, a match-winning wrist-spinner. Also has county cricket experience with Yorkshire.

Returned to international action on the tour of India after an injury-plagued past season in Australia. Should enjoy English conditions with his ability to hit the seam and achieve orthodox and reverse swing making him a key member of the squad. Bowled Australia to victory in the last overs of successive World Cup semi-finals against the West Indies and South Africa, and took 14 wickets in Australia's win in the 1999 tournament. Took 16 wickets in four Tests against England in 1998-99, including a man-of-the-match haul of 9-91 in Perth. Also a capable batsman who made his maiden Test fifty against England in Brisbane on the same tour.

Enjoyed a fairytale start to his Test career, playing in 15 of Australia's world-record run of 16 successive Test wins. Vice-captain and took charge when Stephen Waugh was absent from the Adelaide Test last winter, leading the side to a hard-earned win over the West Indies. A destructive batsman in either form of the game, he started the tour on the brink of 1000 Test runs with two centuries batting at number seven, while he is good enough to open in one-day cricket, has a score of 154 against Sri Lanka to his credit in that role and blazed past 50 in just 28 balls against India in Goa during the winter. Reached 50 in only 33 balls in the World Cup Final against Pakistan in 1999. A top-class gloveman capable of brilliant work either standing up or back. Holds the WA keeping record with 54 dismissals in both 1995-96 and 1996-97.

Australia's unsung hero on the recent Test tour of India where his 13 wickets in the series failed to tell the story of how well he bowled. Capable of genuine pace to unsettle the best, as he showed in 1997, when his 7-37 won him the man of the match award at Headingley. England will also remember his seven-wicket match haul in Perth on their last Ashes tour that helped send them to a three-day defeat. Took 20 wickets in four matches against the West Indies last winter, and forms part of a fearsome Australian pace battery with Brett Lee, Glenn McGrath, Damien Fleming and Nathan Bracken. An obdurate lower-order batsman good enough to help Stephen Waugh add 133 in the Calcutta Test against India.

The past twelve months have been a total triumph for Matthew. First he led Northamptonshire to promotion to the County Championship first division, with his 1270 first-class runs a major factor behind that success. Then, he enjoyed a Bradman-like tour of India with 549 runs in three Tests including a maiden double hundred in Chennai as well as 303 runs in four one-day internationals that followed. Toured England in 1993 and played in the one-day series before being pipped to a Test spot by Michael Slater. His right-arm medium-pace is a useful weapon while he is brilliantly agile in the field for a big man. Has also played county cricket with Hampshire.

Has enjoyed a turn-around in fortunes in the past twelve months after missing most of the 1999-2000 season through illness having suffering chickenpox during the Test tour of Sri Lanka. He began his recovery with a season at Durham in 2000 and made 1089 runs at 43.56, often on bowler-friendly pitches, to be named their batsman of the year. Then, when he returned home, he scored more runs than anyone else in first-class cricket, 1282 at an average of 71.22. There were no vacancies in the Test line-up last season but he forced his way into the one-day international side for a match and will push hard for a Test berth this summer. England will remember him from 1998-99, when he scored 106 in the tour match in Perth. A former Commonwealth Bank Cricket Academy captain.

An all-too-familiar face to English bowlers after he terrorized county attacks for Middlesex in 2000, scoring 1472 runs in first-class cricket including 12 scores of fifty or more in 27 innings. In the last Ashes series in 1998-99 only Stephen Waugh and Michael Slater among Australian batsmen scored more than his 436 runs with his brilliant, unbeaten 179 in roasting hot conditions in Adelaide a crucial innings. Toured England in 1997 and played in the one-day international series before missing out on the Tests that followed. A gutsy short-leg fielder and brilliant team-man.

Keen to put an injury-plagued Australian summer behind him by fulfilling one of his major ambitions - to take part in an Ashes series. Missed the tour of India after having surgery on his right elbow and that followed his sitting out three Tests against the West Indies with back trouble. One of the quickest bowlers in the world, he could break the 100 mph barrier this summer, while he also has the ability to reverse-swing the old ball at pace. Exploded onto the international scene in December 1999 with 13 wickets in his first two Tests against India, and followed that with 18 wickets in three Tests against New Zealand in March-April 2000. Plays bass guitar in a band called Six 'N' Out with his elder brother Shane and is a capable, clean-hitting lower order batsman who made his maiden Test fifty against the West Indies in Brisbane last season.

Australia's Mr Reliable, Martyn has stepped in whenever a vacancy has occurred in the Test match top-order in the past year, never letting anyone down. He stood in for the injured Stephen Waugh in Adelaide last December and his unbeaten double of 46 and 34 was crucial to securing a series-clinching win. That followed on from his efforts in New Zealand the previous March/April, when he took over from the injured Ricky Ponting and scored an average-topping 241 runs in three matches. Scored 50 in just 31 balls against South Africa in Cape Town in April 2000 and is a reliable slip fielder. Toured England as a 21 year-old in 1993, missing selection for the Test side but scoring a brilliant, unbeaten 51 in 43 balls in the Lord's one-day international. Has also developed his medium-pacers and is a safe slip fielder.

Australia's leading current pace-bowler, who has Dennis Lillee's mark of 355 Test wickets in his sights. Has become the indestructible heart of Australia's attack, with 21 wickets and the man-of-the-series award in the whitewash of the West Indies, including an amazing 10-27 in Brisbane, and a hat-trick that took him past 300 wickets in Perth. Then in India he took 17 wickets in three Tests followed by 10 more wickets in the one-day series, the best figures by a player on either side. Was Australia's leading one-day wicket-taker in successive home summers in 1998-99 and 1999-2000 and comes back to England with a fearsome reputation. Toured in 1997 and took 8-38 in the Lord's Test, while last summer for Worcestershire he took 80 wickets - the highest aggregate in first-class cricket - at just 13.21apiece. Took 24 wickets against England in the last Ashes series, in 1998-99.

Made his Test debut aged 34 after developing as an off-spinner to supplement his medium-pacers, and is now rated as one of the best finger-spinners in world cricket. Took 20 wickets in three Tests against the West Indies last season, including a match-winning ten-wicket haul in Adelaide and was named as Australia's Test Player of the Year by his team-mates, the media and umpires at the Allan Border Medal dinner in February. Still bowls his medium pace and has even switched between the two styles in mid-over in Tests. Familiar with English conditions after spending seven years as a professional in league cricket and has also spent time playing in Holland. Now with his original State, Victoria, after spells with South Australia and Tasmania. A former Sheffield Shield Cricketer of the Year in 1997-98 after taking 70 wickets. One of the characters of Australian cricket, he dyed his hair blue for last January's Centenary of Federation Test match against the West Indies in Sydney.

A tall bowler from Queensland, Ashley Noffke hails from the state's Sunshine Coast, bowls with good rhythm from a high, clean and uncomplicated action and maintains excellent pace through most of his spells. It was not until the 2000-01 season that Noffke made a real mark at interstate level, but he has long been very highly regarded in local circles. He was the leading wicket taker in Brisbane grade cricket in both 1997-98 and 1998-99; the Queensland Academy of Sport Player of the Year in 1998-99; and an associate scholar at the Australian Cricket Academy in 1998-99. To add to his skills with the ball, he is also a capable lower order batsman who can defend stoutly for long periods and is an enthusiastic fieldsman who possesses a very strong throwing arm.

Topped last season's first-class averages in Australia with 726 runs at 80.66 and will have fond memories of England. He made a century on his Ashes debut at Headingley in 1997 and was part of the World Cup-winning squad of 1999. Averaged 40.33 in last winter's series win against the West Indies and took over as vice-captain for the Adelaide Test when Adam Gilchrist was elevated to the top job following an injury to Stephen Waugh. Only Mark Waugh scored more than Ricky's 393 runs in the recent Carlton one-day series against the West Indies and Zimbabwe. A brilliant fielder in any position and useful medium-pacer.

Technically, Wade Seccombe he is an outstanding wicket-keeper. He operates with the graceful, agile movement that distinguishes most elite glovemen from their peers and is equally at home (notwithstanding the predominance of pacemen in his native state) on the end of fast and slow bowling. With the bat, he is a confident and adaptable performer; he has a particular liking for playing shots square of the wicket and can be very attacking, yet also has a sound technique and has played some fine defensive innings at different times. Seccombe was chosen to be an inductee of the Australian Cricket Academy in 1993; in his first full season he equalled Rodney Marsh's twenty-four year old record for the most number of dismissals effected by a wicketkeeper in an Australian domestic summer.

Australia's senior opener after the retirement of Mark Taylor. No player on either side beat his mark of 373 runs in the Test series win against the West Indies. Making his third tour of England after visits in 1993 & 1997, and also played county cricket for Derbyshire in 1998 & 1999. Topped 1000 Test runs in the 1999 calendar year and usually saves his best for the England attack, with 460 runs in 1998-99 including a brilliant 123 out of 184 in Sydney to help secure the last Ashes series. Has been working as a commentator for Channel Four.

Along with Glenn McGrath, regarded as the major threat England's batsmen must overcome in order to take out the NatWest one-day series and the Ashes series that follows. Stamped his mark on cricket history with a wicket from his first ball in Ashes Tests when he bowled Mike Gatting in 1993 and has been plaguing England's batsmen ever since, including a hat-trick in Melbourne in 1994-95. He was the leading wicket-taker in last winter's Carlton Series against West Indies and Zimbabwe with 18 victims, and that, on top of his form in World Cup '99 - he was the joint leading wicket-taker in the tournament with 20 wickets - shows his continuing effectiveness in the one-day game. And there is no comfort for England's batsmen in his figures for Hampshire last summer: with 70 first-class wickets at 23.14, he was the leading spinner in county cricket. Named one of Wisden's Five Cricketers of the Century last year, his next target is 400 Test wickets.

Has enjoyed a brilliant Australian summer to re-establish himself as one of the best players in the world in both forms of the game. He scored 339 runs in the Test series win over the West Indies, while no-one scored more than his 542 runs in the Carlton Series against the West Indies and Zimbabwe. That latter haul included 173 against Jimmy Adams' side in Melbourne, the highest-ever score by an Australian in one-day cricket. Making his fourth tour of England and will relish another visit to the country where he first appeared for Essex over a decade ago. Also claimed World Cup glory in 1999 when he scored 375 runs at the top of the order on bowler-friendly pitches. Only the sixth Australian to take over 100 catches in Tests, still a handy off-spinner and is also one of a select band of Australians to have played 100 Tests.