England Star Is Unrecognisable 15 Years After Ashes Victory In Australia

A former England player who played a significant role in the 2010/11 Ashes victory in Australia looks significantly different 15 years later.

England secured a famous 3-1 victory over Australia to secure their first series win Down Under for 24 years.

They were in serious danger of losing the first Test in Brisbane after conceding a 221-run first innings deficit, but piled on 517 for 1 in their second innings to effectively seal a draw.

Alastair Cook hit 235 not out in that innings, which served as the beginning to one of the most remarkable individual Ashes series of all time.

His 148 in the second Test supported a superb knock of 227 from Kevin Pietersen as England racked up 620 for five in their first innings, before winning by an innings and 71 runs.

Australia levelled the series by securing a big victory in Perth, but then suffered their worst nightmares during the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne.

Michael Clarke's side were skittled for 98 on day one, with England amassing 513 in their first innings response.

After securing another innings win to go 2-1 up and retain the Ashes, they replicated the feat in Sydney to win by an innings and 83 runs against the now beleaguered Australians and make it 3-1 in the series.

Cook was player of the series, having hit 189 in Sydney to take his series tally to 746.

James Anderson topped the wicket-taking charts for Andrew Strauss' side with 24 scalps, having played in all five Test matches.

Close behind him was Hampshire's Chris Tremlett, who took 17 wickets at an average of 23 in just three Test matches.

Tremlett was initially taken to Australia as reserve seamer, but was given his opportunity in Perth after Stuart Broad suffered an Ashes-ending injury.

His performances from then on meant that he remained in the side for the rest of the series, and bowled Michael Beer to secure the match-winning wicket in Sydney.

Sadly, the fast bowler rarely featured for England after that success, as he suffered a back injury in February 2012 and then underwent knee surgery.

He was selected for the 2013/14 Ashes tour of Australia but only played the first Test, and never played for England again following their 5-0 defeat.

Tremlett retired from all forms in cricket in the summer of 2015, aged 34, due to various injury problems.

Since his retirement, the now 44-year-old has taken an active interest in fitness and has put on significant muscle - though says he is limited to exactly what training he can do because of his history of back problems.

Despite his much larger frame, the 6ft 7in bowler says he is not interested in becoming a bodybuilder.

He wrote on Instagram in 2017: "Just over 18 months now since retiring and as most of you know, I've changed my body shape slightly.

"When playing cricket I had to stay lean and keep to a certain size, some will say I was still too big for cricket.

"I'm not a bodybuilder, I just enjoy the challenge and feeling of weight training and keeping fit.

"I believe you need a motivation to get you to the gym and for me, changing my body shape and getting stronger is my motivation."

Tremlett told the Daily Mail in 2020: "I am limited because I did have so many injuries playing cricket and I have to be careful.

"I am a big bloke, but I did have a fragile body and the main problem is my back.

"I must have had more than 150 MRI scans and well over 100 cortisone injections [during his career]. It was ridiculous.

"Those are things people don't see. It felt like I was always in a hospital waiting room, and mentally that weighs you down.

"But it was all worth it for that Ashes series."