England Unveils Powerhouse Squad for Ashes 2025-26 with Harry Brook as Vice Captain

England has announced a 16-member squad for the upcoming 2025-26 Ashes series in Australia. Led by Ben Stokes, the team aims to be the first England men’s squad to secure an Ashes victory in Australia since the 2010-11 series.

The squad selections were largely anticipated, with Stokes, Mark Wood, and Shoaib Bashir included after recovering from injuries. Harry Brook will serve as vice-captain, succeeding Ollie Pope. Pope, who led the team in the final Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy during Stokes’ injury absence, has not retained his vice-captaincy. He is expected to vie with Jacob Bethell for the number three position in the batting lineup.

The inclusion of Will Jacks is a notable surprise. Jacks is expected to perform a role similar to Liam Dawson’s during Bashir’s absence in the India series. However, England’s decision on whether to play Bashir as a specialist spinner remains uncertain.

Matthew Potts completes England’s reinforced pace attack, joined by Mark Wood along with Jofra Archer, Brydon Carse, Gus Atkinson, and Josh Tongue, all of whom delivered impressive performances against India.

England Squad for Ashes 2025-26
Ben Stokes (captain), Harry Brook (vice-captain), 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

Published on September 23, 2025