Picking a combined playing XI from England's Ashes 2005 and 2023 squads 

The England Test team under Ben Stokes failed to reclaim the Ashes but made a massive statement with their displays against Australia in the five-match series.

The 2023 Ashes has received critical acclaim due to the competitive cricket that was played over the course of a month-and-a-half. The close matches and the events that transpired both on and off the field have led to comparisons with the iconic 2005 series.

The Michael Vaughan-led side won the 2005 series by a close 2-1 margin, while Ben Stokes and Co. had to settle for a 2-2 draw 18 years later. Both teams played some captivating cricket in front of their home crowd and rattled a rather dominant Australian outfit.

The 2005 Ashes unearthed several new heroes, resulted in one of the greatest Test matches of all time, and had a thrilling culmination, making it one of the most fondly remembered series of the modern era, if not all time.

On the other hand, the 2023 series is certainly worthy of comparison with the 2005 Ashes. The close results and the contrasting styles of both teams resulted in a competition of the highest level.

Despite the evolution of the game, there are several members of the 2005 Ashes who could make it into the current England playing XI.

On that note, let us take a look at the combined playing XI from England's Ashes 2005 and 2023 squads.

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Openers - Zak Crawley and Marcus Trescothick

Zak Crawley is the first name on the team sheet after a prolific campaign where he ended up as England's leading run-scorer. His hundred at Old Trafford was one of the best Ashes knocks in recent times and he compiled 480 runs along with being a handy fielder in the slip cordon.

Marcus Trescothick and Andrew Strauss were both influential in the 2005 series. The former was the second leading run-scorer of the series with 431 runs while the latter was the only batter to score two tons in the series.

Trescothick makes the cut due to his ability to match Crawley's tempo if needed. Also, the pair would gel well, considering that Trescothick is England's batting coach and Crawley is his pupil.

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Middle order- Joe Root, Kevin Pietersen, Ben Stokes (c), Jonny Bairstow (wk), and Andrew Flintoff

Joe Root has to bat at No. 3 while Michael Vaughan narrowly misses out due to the packed middle order and all-rounders across the two squads. Root was the second leading run scorer for England with 412 runs with solid outings across the first and the last Test.

Kevin Pietersen, who made his debut in the 2005 Ashes, had an iconic campaign with 471 runs. His onslaught on Shane Warne as a rookie batter was legendary and he finished as England's leading run-scorer.

The combined XI will be led by Ben Stokes, who despite having had to play almost as a pure batter, made a serious impression. His hundred in the fourth innings at Lord's will go down in history books and he played a starring role in rallying his troops after being 0-2 down in the series.

Jonny Bairstow emerges as a comfortable choice against Geraint Jones in the wicketkeeper position. While Bairstow had his issues with the gloves, he did step up towards the end and silenced the critics with the bat as well.

Andrew Flintoff was the cult hero for England with his riveting all-round performances. He claimed 24 wickets to be the team's leading wicket-taker in the series and also scored three fifties and a hundred to go along with his bowling exploits.

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Bowlers - Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Stuart Broad, and Mark Wood

Moeen Ali emerges as another left-handed batting option and adds batting depth to the team as well. He claims a place over left-arm spinner Ashley Giles, who had a mediocre series at best in 2005.

The pace bowling department is stacked with names from the 2023 side as Simon Jones narrowly missed out. Chris Woakes and Mark Wood's importance cannot be understated by any means since the team's turnaround began with their arrival in the third Test.

Woakes was England's player of the series and Wood made a lasting impact with his sheer pace, particularly at Headingley, Leeds. Stuart Broad, playing his final Test series, ended as England's leading wicket-taker in the series with 22 scalps.

Is this the ideal combined playing XI from England's Ashes 2005 and 2023 squads? Let us know what you think.