Tuffers' Ashes Heroes: The ideal antidote to the recent Ashes series and the perfect gift for cricket fans

by Phil Tufnell

Phil Tufnell played in five Ashes series and has commentated on another ten. With the next tear-up just around the corner, 'Tuffers' has sat down and personally chosen his 50 Ashes 'legends' from the modern era and from both sides of the divide.

Tuffers' Ashes Heroes is crammed with cricketers he has played with or against, admired from afar, enjoyed a drink with or just knows well. Everyone from Ian Botham, Freddie Flintoff, Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad to Merv Hughes, Ricky Ponting, Shane Warne and Steve Smith.

Each 'hero' gets a properly funny, entertaining and affectionate pen portrait. 'Heroes', 'legends' and 'characters': all knitted together into the perfect cricket lover's book and written with Tufnell's trademark warmth, self-effacing humour and unmatched storytelling.

320 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 23, 2025

Reviews

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

thanks to the publishers and netgalley for a free copy in return for an open and honest review

Tuffers looks at his legends of the Ashes series in his lifetime funny in parts from both sides, some he played with/against as well and its a reasonable cricket book too.

[Kath · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full disclosure... I have not read ALL of this book. I regard this and books of its ilk to be more coffee table dippers rather than to be read from start to finish. To cherry pick the players you like (or not) first and then fill in the gaps in due course. I guess I have read more than half though and have, obviously, read the contents page so I know who is in and who is out!
If you know anything about Tuffers, you will know that he really doesn't take it all too seriously, but at the same time, he also does! And this is definitely reflected in the way he has handled the entries in this book. For instance, not all the entries are people. Which was something I wasn't really expecting but, you know what, I can't disagree with the inclusion of the Umpires, the Aussie Crowds, and then there's the addition of himself - how very dare he lol! Obviously there will be much debate over who has not been included but I for one am very happy about a certain someone not making the grade (no I am not saying who, but it is an Aussie)
Each entry is full of humour and anecdotes, and so very readable. With the emphasis very much on the personality rather than just regurgitating dry stats. Obviously there are those he knows better, personally, and I do prefer these entries over those who he has just admired from afar. But throughout, his own voice, personality and humour also shine through. It's a shame he doesn't narrate the audiobook himself though.
With the Ashes series just around the corner, this is an excellent book to dip into in the run up. Especially wrt those players still active. I'm pacing myself now, hopefully will complete the last entry by the time the umps call play.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

[Andrew Atkinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author – aka ‘The Cat’ for his ability to sleep at times when others would be pacing the room - is known now as an entertaining commentator on cricket matches, as well as having a background in TV reality shows. For those of us with longer memories, he is the cricket player who was a cheeky chappy and, as far as the cricket establishment was concerned, the “bad boy” of English cricket in the 1990s. Actually, he was an individual/a character who stood out in such more-straitened times. Moreover, he was a fine cricketer in his playing days, a spin bowler of Test match standard. This volume is a collection of pen portraits of some Australian and English cricketers that the author came across in his career. The author’s sense of humour comes across throughout but so does his cricket knowledge and his understanding of (and reading of) human nature. The book is an easy read and an enjoyable one. Photos of the players and other illustrations would have been a great help. Even so, a recommended read.
My thanks to NetGalley for introducing me to this book. And thanks to HarperCollins UK for bringing the book to fruition. This is my personal and independent review.

[Tzia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am the first to admit, I am not a diehard cricket fan. I don't dislike it, but my interest has always been passive - everything I know I have either learned from my husband and any friends who ARE cricket fans, or from the dulcet tones of 'Test Match Special' on the radio in the kitchen. That said, I do have respect for the game and an affection for Phil 'Tuffers' Tufnell, so I thought I'd give this a go.

This honestly is a perfect coffee table book for the cricket lover in your life. Tuffers takes us through his 50 Ashes heroes, people he played both with and against - and gives the reader affectionate anecdotes about each one; sometimes sales from the pitch, sometimes off. The fans and umpires get a special mention too. Written entirely in Phil's voice, his love and respect of the game and its characters are clear and his well-known 'cheeky chappie' personality comes through. There were points at which I could have done with a glossary of terms for the uninitiated but I found this to be really entertaining and enjoyable.

- Thanks to NetGalley for granting me this ARC in exchange for an honest review -

[Martin Southard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many thanks to HarperCollins UK and NetGalley for providing this advanced copy

Phil Tufnell’s Tuffers’ Ashes Heroes reads like a conversation with a beloved raconteur who knows cricket inside out. Across fifty profiles of Ashes legends from England and Australia, Tufnell blends affectionate humour, personal anecdotes, and sharp observations that reveal the quirks and characters behind the statistics. Tuffers is wry, playful and occasionally self-deprecating — recalling moments on and off the pitch with a twinkle in his prose. From Botham’s fearless flair to Warne’s dazzling mastery, the book goes beyond cricketing feats to capture the human spirit and eccentric spark that define Ashes legends. Light on heavy analysis but rich in character and charm, it’s about the stories, the laughs, and the shared love of cricket. Fun, warm and impossible to put down, it’s a perfect read for fans and newcomers alike.

[Richard Angrave · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a lifelong cricket fan who has read numerous cricket books in his life but very few recently this book came as a breath of fresh air. We are all familiar with Phil Tufnell either as a radio or TV commentator/pundit or Question of Sport captain or Strictly Come Dancing contestant for nine weeks. A likeable rogue and definitely a character over the last thirty years or so and add to that now an author who produces an excellent humorous book with 50 essays on players from both sides of the Ashes battle as a prelude to the latest forthcoming Ashes series this winter. My anticipation is now in place for the battle. Thoroughly recommended book to get you in the mood for the latest Ashes series.

[Neil M · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good bite-sized read into the characters that have been on both sides of the Ashes divide. It's got a good mix of some really great anecdotes mixed with a fair bit of memory jogging/nostaligia of the great series of the past.

Really added to the feeling of excitement for the upcoming series, as if I wasn't excited enough for it anyway!

[Graeme · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reasonable read. Not a great deal I hadn't read elsewhere.