Australia and England have confirmed their squads for the opening Ashes Test, which begins on Friday in Perth. Both teams come into the series with fresh combinations, new faces, and big decisions ahead of the first ball.
Australia has named their playing XI, with two debutants included. Jake Weatherald will open the innings with Usman Khawaja after strong first-class performances in domestic cricket. Brendan Doggett also earns his first Test cap, stepping into the bowling unit in place of the injured Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood.
The team will also see the return of Marnus Labuschagne at No. 3, pushing Cameron Green into the middle order. Steve Smith will lead the side as stand-in captain, supported by Travis Head, Alex Carey, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, and Scott Boland.
Australia’s XI for the first Test:
Usman Khawaja, Jake Weatherald, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith (c), Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland, Brendan Doggett.
Smith is expected to officially confirm the XI during his press briefing on Thursday.
England have also revealed their 12-man squad for the Ashes opener, though the final XI will likely be confirmed at the toss. England’s leadership duo Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum, often finalise their team late, keeping their strategy flexible until match day.
England’s 12-man squad:
Ben Stokes (c), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wk), Mark Wood.
The match will begin at 02:20 GMT on Friday, with cricket fans around the world waiting to see how both sides approach the first big clash of the series.
