Voges will bat at number five in the 1st Test in Cardiff which begins on Wednesday after making his Test debut only last month in the Caribbean. He took his opportunity, scoring an unbeaten 130, off the back of a stellar season for Western Australia in the Sheffield Shield where he scored 1,358 runs at an average of 104.

But the old adage that you pick the players in form regardless of age meant that the Aussie selectors could ignore him no longer.

The English media have christened the tourists ‘Dad’s Army’ and Voges is one of a number of players in the twilight of their careers.

““There’s no point tip-toeing around it, we’ve got a number of guys who are over 30,” Voges admits, but counters, “That does bring experience but I think in today’s game we are a lot stronger, a lot fitter – we train more than ever before.”

Two years ago it was Chris Rogers who had come late to Test cricket after learning much of his trade in English county cricket. Voges has played for Western Australia for 13 years, but has rounded his game with five English summers with Nottinghamshire before moving two Middlesex.

“I don’t think it will do me any harm – the fact that I have played on all of the [Test] grounds we are going to be playing at, [and] I’ve faced all the guys we are playing against in the England squad. So from that point of view hopefully I can give some insight to Michael Clarke and Steve Smith [the vice-captain],” Voges said.

When asked why it had taken him so long to break into the Australian Test side, Voges said: “If I had the answer to that I’d’ve been here 10 years ago. The Australian team is a tough team to get into so I had to consistently make runs at first-class level, and probably until the last two or three years I wasn’t as consistent as I would have liked to have been.”

“I’ve got no doubt that county cricket has made me a better player,” Voges added. “I think having to deal with different conditions, a different ball, different types of bowling, has over the years improved my defensive technique.”

Voges will have dreamed of playing in an Ashes Test for as long as he’s held a bat. It may have taken longer than most to come, but success against England will taste even more sweeter for the wait.