Alex Tudor: Jason Roy’s the boy to open in the Ashes

And the former paceman is backing Jason Roy to solve one of England’s long-standing problems in this summer’s Ashes series.

Not since Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook were in tandem have England boasted an opening partnership to be feared.

Following Strauss’s retirement in 2012, Cook carried on accumulating runs on his way to becoming his country’s leading Test match run scorer.

But at the other end, he saw a host of players fail to make the most of their opportunities.

In recent years, the problems at the top of the order have got worse. It’s become the norm to see England’s top order blown away for next to nothing with the middle and lower order batters left to repair the early damage.

But after excelling opening the innings during England’s march to World Cup glory and top spot in the one-day rankings, Tudor now believes the time is right to let Roy loose and, more importantly, give him the freedom to play his natural game in the Test match arena.

“The batting has been a bit of a problem because we are always two or three down for nothing,” said former Surrey man Tudor, who made 10 Test appearances for England.

“And then the middle order are saving us – Stokes, Rooty, Mo, Bairstow, how many times have they had to save us?

“The top order need to function. You are going to have Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazelwood coming in at you, it’s not going to be easy.

“I’ve got my Surrey hat on and I would go Jason Roy and Rory Burns to open.”

Tudor believes Roy could make the sort of impact Australia’s David Warner has made.

Warner was seen as a one-day specialist when he was handed his Test match chance and has gone on to establish himself as one of the best openers in the world, with 6,363 runs at an average of 48.2 in 74 matches.

“I think Roy has got to play. I just think we need an aggressive type of opener to go at them,” added Tudor.

“I don’t think you can just stay there and try to see them off.

“As a bowler myself, when you had a batsman that came out at you, like a Virender Sehwag or Warner, it makes you make mistakes. If you stray off line they hit, and they do hit your good balls for boundaries as well.

“It makes it bloody difficult. And we don’t quite have that in the England team yet and that’s the reason I would pick Roy.

“That’s the reason why Warner came in for Australia and he has gone on to absolute excellence and I think Roy can do the same.”

Tudor has painful memories of Ashes series having figured in three – 1998/99, 2001and 2002/03 – which ended in respective 3-1, 4-1 and 4-1 losses. And he is not overly confident about England’s chances this time around, with the action kicking off at Edgbaston on Thursday.

With Hazlewood, Starc, James Pattinson, Pat Cummins and the ever reliable Peter Siddle to call upon, Australia boast the best pace attack in world cricket.

And given England’s frailties with the bat, that could spell big trouble.

“If their pace attack stays fit, then I am a little worried,” said Tudor, who saw his career blighted by injuries.

“Obviously we will get some good wickets to play on but what it will come down to is, on the wickets that do a bit, can our batters adapt?

“Can they get runs on difficult wickets like Steve Smith showed in the World Cup semi-final? He is a quality player, the bowlers were on top form that day but he still eked out an 80 on a difficult wicket and that’s why he is a world class player.

“And do we have players like that? We have got Joe Root, he is probably our one world class player.

“The team is built around him and if we can get an opening partnership that can see off that new ball then that allows the likes of Root, Bairstow, Stokes and Buttler to come in and play freely and then you get your side up to that 400 which you need.”

England’s hopes of fighting fire with fire in the fast bowling department have been hit by injuries to Mark Wood and Jofra Archer.

Wood is struggling to play any part in the series, while man-of-the-moment Archer picked up a side strain in the World Cup final success against New Zealand that makes him touch and go for the opening skirmish at Edgbaston.

The inclusion of Archer, when fit, is a ‘no brainer’ for Tudor.

“I don’t care who misses out, he has got to play – he is a special talent,” added the 41-year-old. “I think it’s a no brainer, Jofra Archer has got to be in the team.

“Then you have got Broad, Anderson, Woakes and Moeen Ali. It’s just what best four or five bowlers you use for any given test.

“But we have got a good squad. We just need them to stay fit.”

Tudor knows all about battling injuries, and they played a part in him never quite realising his full potential.

His Test career started and finished in the same place against the same opponents – Australia at Perth in 1998 and 2002. And while he bagged a Test-best 5-44 against the Aussies at Trent Bridge in 2001, he is best remembered for his exploits with the bat in an England shirt.

Against New Zealand at Edgbaston in 1999 he made an unbeaten 99 – the highest score by an England nightwatchman – to help his side to a seven-wicket success.

After a spell with Essex and a return to Surrey he ended his professional playing days in 2009 but is still involved with the sport, coaching at Kimbolton School in Cambridgshire.

And he also travels around the country captaining England’s PCA Masters side, and checked in at Fordhouses in Wolverhampton recently to lead the side to victory in a 20-over clash.

It’s clear he still has a deep love of the game and relishes the opportunity to put something back into the sport.

“I have been involved with the PCA for about 10 years now, ever since I came out the game,” added Tudor.

“Jason Ratcliffe, who was the assistant chief executive at the PCA, got me involved.

“These days are about socialising and being with the kids, and he just thought I’d be good at it.

“I love being with the kids and I love seeing kids playing a game that I love.

“So you try and pass on a bit of what you have learnt over the years.

“The games are good fun and I now have to try to control a lot of guys I grew up watching. Being a big lad helps to keep them in line.

“But we are all there for the same thing. You try to raise as money for the clubs, spend time with the kids and the supporters get the chance to see players they used to watch on the TV.

“We obviously can’t bowl like we used to but the lads are still performing quite well with the bat.”