Why are people thinking that if Big Ant don't release before or in the very early part of the Ashes that it will be a catastrophe? It's not like people only buy games when big events are on or that Big Ant only have a small window of opportunity. Big Ant are in this for the long haul, not making a quick buck, so I'm sure they won't rush something out for this reason.
Ross has stated that he expects the game to provide at least two years worth of 'play', so we can assume that a new DBC game will be released every two years...giving Big Ant plenty of time to sell enough copies. Granted, any product needs exposure at the right time and the Ashes is the time where maximum exposure is needed, but that doesn't mean it has to be released asap.
With the cricket game market as barren as it is Big Ant have a HUGE opportunity to take over and rule to the roost for many years to come - an opportunity that is far greater than the supposed 'make or break window of opportunity' of the Ashes being touted by many. It's a marathon, not a sprint.