England Announces 12-Player Squad for Ashes Opener Against Australia

Image Source: ecb.co.uk-web

England Announces 12-Player Squad for Ashes Opener Against Australia: The highly anticipated Ashes Series 2025-26 between the England and Australia cricket teams is about to begin. The first Test match of this biggest rivalry in cricket is set to begin on November 21st, for which the England Cricket Board (ECB) has announced its 12-member squad.

The Ashes Opener: Captaincy Overview

Image Source: ecb.co.uk-web

The first match of the Ashes Series will be played at Perth. For this crucial clash, England will be led by all-rounder Ben Stokes.

On the other hand, arch-rivals Australia will be captained by veteran batsman Steve Smith. Regular captain Pat Cummins is unavailable for the first Test due to injury, leaving Smith with this responsibility.

England named a 12-man squad for the Ashes series

Image Source: England Cricket-X

The ECB has named a balanced squad for the first Test, featuring experienced players as well as young talent.

Speedster Mark Wood has also been included in the squad to bolster the fast bowling attack. Wood recently struggled with a hamstring problem, but has now recovered and managed to secure a place in the team.

Jamie Smith has been assigned the wicketkeeping duties, while Shoaib Bashir will handle the spin department.

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England's squad for the first Ashes Test match

1. Ben Stokes
2. Jamie Smith
3. Harry Brook
4. Zak Crawley
5. Ben Duckett
6. Ollie Pope
7. Joe Root
8. Jofra Archer
9. Gus Atkinson
10. Shoaib Bashir
11. Brydon Carse
12. Mark Wood

Also Read: Full list of head coaches of all 10 teams for IPL 2026

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