Chief selector of Cricket Australia, George Bailey, has announced the Ashes squad that will take on England in the first Ashes Test in Perth.
Bailey named a 15-man squad that will begin preparations for the November 21-25 showdown imminently.
The most notable omissions from the squad were Sam Konstas (New South Wales), and Matt Renshaw (Queensland).
"I feel for Sammy at the moment because if he farts at the moment it’s a headline," Bailey said.
"There’s a handful of young guys his age playing Shield cricket around the country and they’re all learning and they’re all going through a journey to become the best cricketer they can be.
"Sammy’s no different to that, he just seems to be doing it with immense scrutiny at the moment."
When asked what the 20-year-old needs to do to earn his way back into the side, Bailey said to "keep it simple."
"What's been really pleasing has been that there's been lots of batters scoring runs."
Marnus Labuschangne has earned a recall after being dropped during Australia's tour of the West Indies.
"You know what Marnus is like," Bailey said.
"As soon as he was left out of that West Indies team, his first question was: how many runs do you need for me to come back?"
To join Labuschangne in Australia's batting ranks, will be South Australia's Jake Weatherald.
"What’s impressed us about Jake, if you look at his performances over the past 18-24 months, it’s been really solid,” Bailey said.
"[He] is complementary to those other players around him in the squad.
"He scores at a good rate. The way he goes about building his innings has been impressive."
Bailey prioritised balance in the squad between batsmen, bowlers, keepers and all-rounders, making sure the home side will have all bases covered in Perth.
"The squad gives us good balance and, with 14 of those chosen playing the next round of Sheffield Shield, we will continue to gather information as we move closer to the start of the first Test," Bailey said in a statement.
MORE: What is Marnus Labuschagne's record in Australia?
Aussies Ashes squad for England
- Steve Smith (C)
- Travis Head (VC)
- Usman Khawaja
- Marnus Labuschagne
- Cameron Green
- Beau Webster
- Alex Carey
- Josh Inglis
- Mitchell Starc
- Josh Hazlewood
- Scott Boland
- Nathan Lyon
- Brendan Doggett
- Sean Abbott
- Jake Weatherald
England Ashes squad: 1st Test vs. Aus
- Ben Stokes (C)
- Jofra Archer
- Gus Atkinson
- Shoaib Bashir
- Jacob Bethell
- Harry Brook (VC)
- Brydon Carse
- Zak Crawley
- Ben Duckett
- Will Jacks
- Ollie Pope
- Matthew Potts
- Joe Root
- Jamie Smith
- Josh Tongue
- Mark Wood
Ashes 2025/26 Fixtures
The 2025/26 Ashes Test series is a part of the World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle. Here is the full schedule for the five-match series:
| Fixture | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| AUS vs ENG 1st Test | Nov 21-25 | Perth Stadium |
| AUS vs ENG 2nd Test (D/N) | Dec 4-8 | The Gabba, Brisbane |
| AUS vs ENG 3rd Test | Dec 17-21 | Adelaide Oval |
| AUS vs ENG 4th Test | Dec 26-30 | Melbourne Cricket Ground |
| AUS vs ENG 5th Test | Jan 4-8 | Sydney Cricket Ground |