The selectors for the England cricket team have officially announced their squad for the highly anticipated Ashes series in Australia. Despite a recent shoulder injury, captain Ben Stokes is confirmed to be on track for the tournament. The announcement also revealed a notable, somewhat unexpected, inclusion: part-time spinner Will Jacks.
Harry Brook and Ben Stokes (Getty Images)
Stokes had previously missed the final Test match against India at the Oval, a game that saw England draw the series 2-2. While the all-rounder is expected to be available for the fierce five-Test series against Australia, which kicks off in Perth on November 21st, there’s still a question mark over how much he’ll be able to contribute with the ball.
Will Jacks, primarily known for his prowess in white-ball cricket, makes a surprising return to the Test setup, having earned his only two previous caps in Pakistan almost three years ago. The 26-year-old all-rounder will serve as a reserve off-spinner alongside Shoaib Bashir, who is now fully recovered from a finger injury. Jacks brings a respectable record of 49 first-class wickets at an average of 42.22, in addition to 15 wickets across all international formats for England.
In a significant leadership change, Harry Brook has been named England’s vice-captain, taking over from Ollie Pope, who retains his place in the 16-man squad purely as a batsman. The pace attack sees the welcome return of Durham’s Mark Wood, who was sidelined for the entire English season due to a knee injury. Jofra Archer also features, continuing his gradual return to Test cricket after battling a series of fitness issues. Fellow Durham player Matthew Potts has also earned a spot, despite his last Test appearance being back in December 2024.
England’s previous home Ashes series in 2023 ended in a 2-2 draw with Australia. The team will be looking to break a long-standing drought, as they haven’t secured an Ashes victory in Australia since the 2010/11 tour. This highly anticipated five-Test series will unfold across iconic venues: Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne, and Sydney.
Ahead of the Ashes challenge, England will embark on a tour of New Zealand, featuring three Twenty20 matches and three One Day Internationals.
The full England Ashes squad includes: Ben Stokes (captain), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook (vice-captain), Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wicketkeeper), Josh Tongue, and Mark Wood.