England have opted not to reveal their playing XI ahead of the opening Ashes Test against Australia on Friday, a notable departure from the routine established during Brendon McCullum’s tenure as head coach. The decision marks a significant change as England usually announce their squad at least a day in advance, giving a clear idea of their approach to key matches such as this one. In contrast, Australia made a decisive move by including two debutants in their squad, Jake Weatherald and Brendan Doggett, while leaving Warwickshire all-rounder Beau Webster out of the squad.
During the last 41 matches with McCullum at the helm, England have built a reputation for making timely team announcements – usually 24, sometimes 48 hours before the toss. England captain Ben Stokes clarified the modified approach at the pre-match press conferencewith the announcement not being made until after Thursday afternoon practice.
The uncertainty now extends to the possibility of England retaining their starting XI until the draw, a move that is not common under the current management. The final decision could depend on the conditions seen during practice on Thursday, reflecting a more accommodative stance from the tour.
Meantime, the fitness of Durham fast bowler Mark Wood influenced England’s approach. A recent hamstring scan cleared Wood for selection and put him in charge of a five-man seam attack, in line with England’s likely strategy given the conditions in Perth, where 17 wickets fell on the opening day of last year’s Australia-India series.
Recognized as the fastest player in the world, Wood is one of only five England players on tour with previous Test experience in Australia. He was also the leading wicket-taker for England in the 2021-22 Ashes, lending depth and experience to a considered seam-oriented bowling unit.
Coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes were seen inspecting the pitch late on Thursday, possibly delaying a selection decision until further inspection of ground conditions. This further supports Stokes’ earlier statement. The move could also mean that they are still considering whether to leave out spinner Shoaib Bashir.
Bashir has been expensive in the passing game, but England could bring him into the line-up if the conditions are right.
“A team sport requires all 11 (players) to impact the game at some point,” Stokes said. “All 11 guys who get the honor of being picked in the next five games are going to be as important as anybody. He was always going to be in the 12-man (squad). Seeing how the game went at Lilac Hill, I felt like we might as well give him as many opportunities as possible.”
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Published on:
November 20, 2025
