&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Ashes 2025: England reveal 12-man squad for Perth opener, details inside")
England have announced their 12-man squad for the first Ashes Test at the Optus Stadium in Perth on Friday, (Nov 21). Ben Stokes will lead the side, with England sticking to a familiar batting lineup of Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root and Harry Brook. Jamie Smith has been trusted with the wicketkeeping role. The squad also shows England’s focus on pace, with Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, Brydon Carse and Gus Atkinson all included. Shoaib Bashir is the only specialist spinner and twelfth. It’s a balanced group that gives England good options as they look to start the series on a strong note in tough Australian conditions.
England have been talking a lot about being flexible on this tour, and this squad proves that. Stokes hasn’t confirmed the final XI yet because the Perth pitch can behave differently each day. Early in the week, when England played their warm-up game, it looked green and full of pace, which made England think about going with all fast bowlers.
But as the days went by, the surface dried out a bit, and spin became a real option again. That’s why Bashir stays in the 12, and England will take the final call on a spinner on match day.
England can go with pure pace
The fast-bowling group looks strong. Archer and Wood are both fit, which is a huge plus. Archer hasn’t played a Test in a long time, and Wood had a small injury scare during the warm-up match, but both seem ready. If England go for pure speed, they have plenty of it.
Trending Stories
)
The Royals enter the Doctor Who universe: King Charles and Queen Camilla beam into Commonwealth Games in TARDIS
)
'Agitation cannot justify lathi-charge': CJI Surya Kant's BIG response to police brutality against protesting students
)
India avoids higher US tariff, secures lower 10% rate. Here's how
)
Hidden in British archives: Scientists decode 200-year-old Indian scroll that helped sailors cross one of the world's toughest seas
)
He predicted COVID-19 and 2008 economic crisis, was labeled fearmonger. Now he has another dire warning
)
'House raided, father picked up': UP man Mohd Junaid alleges crackdown after CJP protest; Police deny claims
)
Trump's latest rant is about a 'massive television outage' that never happened
)
Putin rambles in TV speech after cancelling Navy Day parade fearing an attack by Ukraine
)
RSS backed Jantar Mantar student protest? Mohan Bhagwat's 'question authority' remark resurfaces
)
Oil tanker explodes in the Strait of Hormuz after hitting a naval mine
)
ChatGPT invoked God, told pastor not to worry about his symptoms. Then pulmonary embolism hit
)
NEET Protests riddled with misinformation? Delhi Police blocks 480 Pakistan-based handles spreading 'fake news' since Operation Sindoor
)
Delhi Police issues BIG statement on viral 'don't leave national capital without permission' notice | FACT CHECK
)
'They’re afraid right now...': Netanyahu reacts for first time after Mamdani threatens arrest over ICC warrant
)
Trump says Iranian school bombing photos could be AI-generated - 'I don’t think...'
)
Lock Upp elimination takes dramatic turn as Shivangi Joshi's candid admission grabs attention
)
Google ends Play Services Support, likely to stop these Android phones from downloading apps & games
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
New OTT releases this week (July 27-August 2, 2026): The Devil Wears Prada 2, Batman, Demon Slayer- 5 titles coming on Netflix, Prime Video and more
)
Will Iran war last months or even years? Here's what new poll shows about what most Americans think
)
US says Turkey still barred from F-35 program until it gives up Russian S-400 system: Report
)
Spain: Fresh wildfires break out in Valencia
)
Bihar wants 'backless Saturday’ in govt schools as official notice misspells 'bagless'
)
'Broader struggle for democracy...': Greta Thunberg joins Indian students protest in London - What she said
)
'We didn't stop them...: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's first reaction on student protests
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why US fighter jets use seamless bubble canopies compared to Russian jets
)
What we know about Seattle mass shooting: 3 dead, suspect arrested and one at large
)
India's foreign ministry debunks viral claim made during last week's protests
The batting lineup is familiar and steady with Crawley and Duckett set to open with Pope stays at no. 3. Ollie's numbers in Australia aren’t great, but he scored runs in the warm-up game, which gives him confidence. Root and Brook add strength in the middle order along with skipper Stoks and Smith taking the gloves, brings something new behind the stumps.
