England has announced their squad for the highly anticipated Ashes series in Australia, set to begin on November 21 in Perth. Ben Stokes will captain the 16-member team, which includes the return of spinner Shoaib Bashir and fast bowler Mark Wood, as well as a recall for Will Jacks.
Harry Brook has been named the vice-captain for the Ashes tour, taking over from Ollie Pope. This decision highlights Brook's growing leadership role, especially after he led England's white-ball squad earlier in the summer.
Shoaib Bashir returns to the squad after recovering from a finger injury sustained during the home series against India. He had been ruled out midway through the India Test series after fracturing his finger during the Lord's Test.
Mark Wood is also back in the Test squad after recovering from a left knee injury. His return bolsters England's pace attack.
Will Jacks has been recalled to the squad and is expected to be fit despite a broken finger sustained during England’s T20I series against South Africa earlier in September. Jacks will serve as a potential second spinning option behind Bashir. Jacks last featured in a Test match against Pakistan in December 2022. In his previous two Tests, Jacks took six wickets in a single innings and scored 89 runs.
The squad also features a strong pace-bowling contingent, including Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Matthew Potts, and Josh Tongue. Matthew Potts, a Durham seamer, has been included in the squad. England is likely to rotate their seamers, considering the injury histories of Wood and Archer.
Other players in the squad include Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, and Jamie Smith. Jamie Smith will continue as the wicketkeeper. Crawley and Duckett are expected to continue their opening partnership, with Root at number four.
Several players were not selected for the Ashes squad, including Chris Woakes due to injury, and Jamie Overton, who has retired from Test cricket. Rehan Ahmed, Jack Leach, and Liam Dawson were also overlooked in favor of Jacks as the backup spinner.
England will play a warm-up match against England Lions in Perth from November 13-15. The first Ashes Test is scheduled to take place in Perth from November 21-25.
England Men's Test squad for 2025/26 Ashes Series:
