Australia has officially named its 15-man squad for the opening Test match of the highly anticipated Ashes Series against historical rivals England. This series, one of the biggest fixtures in world cricket, is scheduled to commence on November 21st in Perth.
The squad announcement comes under unusual circumstances, as regular captain Pat Cummins has not yet recovered from a nagging back injury. Given this critical absence, the experienced batsman Steve Smith will step up to assume the captaincy duties for the first Test.
Details of the Australian Squad
The announced 15-man squad includes a mix of senior players and emerging talents. The players named for the first Test are:
- Leadership: Steve Smith (Captain)
- Bowlers: Scott Boland, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, Sean Abbott
- Batsmen: Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster
- Wicketkeepers: Alex Carey, Josh Inglis
- All-Rounder: Cameron Green
- Other: Brendan Doggett, Nathan Lyon
The Australian side is expected to seek a dominant start on home soil under Smith’s leadership, relying on the depth of its batting and the experience in its bowling attack, even without Cummins.
