It has been only two years since Hughes made the switch to first class cricket, and now he will front the Australian batting attack in the face of the fiercest international cricket rivalry there is: the Ashes.

He was chosen as an opening batsman in the 16-man squad at an announcement from the Sydney Cricket Ground yesterday.

Hughes, at just 20 years of age, will join seasoned veterans as well as other first-time Ashes competitors to take on the English squad in the five-test meet starting in July.

The full squad is made up of Ricky Ponting (c)

Michael Clarke (vc), Stuart Clark, Brad Haddin, Nathan Hauritz, Ben Hilfenhaus, Phillip Hughes, Michael Hussey. Mitchell Johnson, Simon Katich, Brett Lee, Graham Manou, Andrew McDonald, Marcus North, Peter Siddle and Shane Watson (subject to fitness).

It is being billed by Cricket Australia as ‘the tour all cricket fans have been waiting for’ since Australia’s five-nil whitewash of the English team when we hosted the Ashes in 2006-2007.

Yesterday marked 50 days to go before the start of the 2009 Ashes.

By the time he makes his first appearance for Australia on English soil, Hughes will already be feeling right at home, thanks to a cracking season with Middlesex.

Hughes has been finding his way with no difficulty against the English bowling attack, making more than 880 runs in a huge season for the Middlesex Club.

There will be pressure on the left-handed batsman from fans watching from the stands and at home when he faces the English attack from July 8. He has raised huge expectation in the cricketing world after becoming the youngest player ever to crack centuries in each innings of a test match, while playing for his country against South Africa earlier this year.

Ashes Test dates: July 8-12 first test at Cardiff; July 16-20 second test at Lord’s; July 30- August 3 third test at Edgbaston; August 7-11 fourth test at Headingley; August 20-24 fifth test at The Oval.

I hope Hughes can hear the cheers coming all the way from the Nambucca Valley.