England just announced their squad for the Ashes 2025 series! The team heads to Australia for cricket’s biggest rivalry soon. Captain Ben Stokes leads a 16-player side down under this time. The series starts on November 21 at Perth’s Optus Stadium. Visitors want to win in Australia after so many years. Let’s check out who made the England squad for Ashes 2025!
England’s Ashes Squad and Key Players
- Ben Stokes (c)
- Harry Brook (vc)
- Jofra Archer
- Gus Atkinson
- Shoaib Bashir
- Jacob Bethell
- Brydon Carse
- Zak Crawley
- Ben Duckett
- Will Jacks
- Ollie Pope
- Matthew Potts
- Joe Root
- Jamie Smith
- Josh Tongue
- Mark Wood
Ben Stokes returns as captain after recovering from his injury. Mark Wood also comes back to lead the pace attack. Jofra Archer got selected despite his recent fitness concerns. These three bring experience and match-winning abilities to the team.
Harry Brook becomes the vice-captain in place of Ollie Pope surprisingly. That’s a big responsibility for the young Yorkshire batter. Will Jacks returns to the side after his 2022 Pakistan tour. He hasn’t played Test cricket since then really.
Mark Wood wants to repeat his magical 5-34 performance against Australia. His pace and bounce trouble Australian batters on their pitches. Jamie Overton missed selection as he’s taking a break currently.
Visitors’ Strategy for the Next Ashes
They might go with a pace-heavy attack without spinners. Shoaib Bashir and Will Jacks provide spin options if needed. The squad balances speed and spin bowling nicely overall.
Perth’s Optus Stadium hosts the first Test instead of the Gabba. That’s good news for them actually! They haven’t won at Gabba since 1986 historically. The schedule includes a pink-ball Test at the Gabba later.
Melbourne and Sydney will host other high-profile Ashes matches. England prepared with a T20 series in New Zealand first. But their recent performances raised some concerns about readiness.
Can England Win the Ashes 2025?
Australia remains the favourite based on their home dominance. England last won an Ashes series in Australia back in 2010-11. That’s 15 years ago now. Winning there is extremely difficult for any visiting team.
Alastair Cook and Graeme Swann will commentate from Australia directly. Other experts will provide analysis from UK studios remotely. The Ashes 2025 promises thrilling cricket between these old rivals.
