For the upcoming Ashes, which begins on November 21 and features the first Test at Perth Stadium, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has selected a formidable 16-man squad.
The Three Lions will try to recapture the urn from Pat Cummins and company under the leadership of the talismanic Ben Stokes. Since their 3-2 victory at home in 2015, they have not defeated Australia. Harry Brook will take Ollie Pope’s spot as England’s vice-captain in the red-ball team, giving Stokes a new deputy in the series. Jos Buttler resigned as England’s white-ball captain earlier this year after a lacklustre Champions Trophy 2025 campaign, and Brook took over.
Mark Wood, a fast bowler for Durham, has returned to the Test team after recovering from a left knee injury. Since August 2024, the 35-year-old has not represented England in Test cricket. Shoaib Bashir, an off-spinner for Somerset, has recovered from a finger injury he suffered during the home series against India and is now ready.
Destructive batsman Will Jacks and fast bowler Matthew Potts have also been called up for the prestigious series. In December 2022, the latter faced Pakistan in two Test matches. He is likely to heal in time to participate in the Ashes, but he will miss the white-ball tour of New Zealand due to a broken finger.
Since the match against New Zealand at Seddon Park in December 2024, Potts has not participated in Test cricket. So far in his career, the 26-year-old has taken 36 wickets in 10 Test matches.
Stokes is still in the running to start the Test series against the Australians after he continues to recuperate from the shoulder injury that kept him out of the fifth and final Test match against India at the Kia Oval.
England Men’s Test team for the 2025–26 Ashes Series
Ben Stokes (captain), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook (victory), Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue, and Mark Wood.
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