It is only a few short weeks since Chris Jordan was playing for England in the Barbados Test. The match was a homecoming for Jordan but it ended in a defeat that had significant repercussions for England's Ashes summer. Jordan lost his place for the subsequent series against New Zealand and an injury sustained in the one-day series ruled him out of contention for the early skirmishes with Australia.

It also meant that Jordan could not take part in the training camp in Spain on which the players were introduced to Trevor Bayliss, the new head coach who was appointed in the wake of Peter Moores' sacking. A line was effectively drawn in the Caribbean sand when England were held to a 1-1 draw and the end of Moores' second spell in charge followed soon after.

Jordan is now back in Barbados, working on his recovery from a grade two side strain that tore muscle off the bone. That could keep him out for six weeks, limiting his chances of being involved in the Tests against Australia - a series that even the laidback Jordan, who grew up outside the Anglo-Australian Ashes bubble, describes as something "you dream of".

He has represented England in all three formats, played international cricket at Kensington Oval, the ground where he used to watch West Indies as a child, and featured at a World Cup (albeit a disappointing one) but is keen to add an Ashes experience to the list.

"That would cap it off but you don't want to just be there making up the numbers," he said. "You don't just want to play one and be overwhelmed by the whole environment. But that would cap it off, hopefully that can happen sooner rather than later and be many more to come as well.

"It's a series you dream of, you're looking forward to it and it's a shame to miss it. You dream of walking out in that first Test and taking in the atmosphere, soaking up everything that's going on around you. From watching it over the past few years, it's electrifying and you get the whole public rallying behind you. It's a real festival, it'll be a great experience and hopefully the boys can come out on top.

"Even as a very young kid, the series that sticks out in my mind was that 2005 series, when they won them back. It's a brilliant series to watch, a great spectacle and a great advert for cricket."

When he returns to fitness, Jordan is likely to face a battle for a place in the Test XI. Having played six consecutive matches against India and West Indies - with England winning four of them - he was displaced by Mark Wood at the start of the English summer. Wood is being talked of as a potent weapon with which to ruffle Australia but there are a handful of pace bowlers lining up to provide further competition.

Steven Finn has returned to contention, almost two years after his last Test appearance, while Liam Plunkett could feature and the left-armer Mark Footitt was included in the group taken to Spain.

"I'm pleased for Woody making his debut and performing the way he did," Jordan said of the man who took his spot. "You always have ambition of getting back in the team and I'll be working very hard towards that. That can only be good for the team because there's great competition for places, so guys skills levels and everyone's game has to raise. So it can only be good for English cricket."

In the limited-overs formats, Jordan has suddenly become one of the senior bowlers, with England seemingly having moved on from James Anderson and Stuart Broad. He played the first two games against New Zealand but could not fully enjoy England's ebullient, 3-2 victory after getting injured at The Oval.

"It's very frustrating," he said. "The timing of it wasn't perfect, in a series where we went on to win and the brand of cricket was very exciting. It was disappointing but at the same time I'm chuffed for the boys because a lot of things we talked about, we actually went out and did. So it was great to get that series win and for the new guys coming into that team it will only stand them in good stead."

England's turnaround in 50-over cricket has been dramatic and while Jordan could not pinpoint any specific changes, he suggested a young, fresh side were not affected by "the scars from the winter". The focus will be on the Ashes for the next seven weeks but the New Zealand series helped to reinvigorate England's ODI game and there is now a determination that it will not be neglected, with the Champions Trophy in 2017 and the 2019 World Cup both to be played at home.

"The new guys who have come in have taken to it brilliantly, you can see with the way we buzz around in the field and chase down every ball, try to do something spectacular - everyone is taking to it and buying into what we're trying to do, the brand of cricket we're trying to play," Jordan said. "It was 14 guys enjoying each other's company and wanting each other to do well. When you have that kind of environment it's really exciting and it bodes well for the kind of things we can do in the future."

Chris Jordan, Octopus Investments ambassador, was speaking at the launch of Bob Willis' City Cricket Challenge - www.octopuscitycricket.com - a cryptic quiz that will test your cricket knowledge. Complete the quiz and you could win exclusive signed merchandise and NatWest T20 Blast Finals Day tickets