The stage is set for another sizzling chapter in cricket’s oldest rivalry, as the 2025-26 Ashes series between Australia and England gets underway at Perth Stadium on November 21. Yet, the build-up has been anything but straightforward for the hosts, with a spate of injuries reshaping Australia’s pace attack and injecting a rare sense of unpredictability into the opening Test. With captain Pat Cummins sidelined by a back stress injury and both Sean Abbott and Lance Morris ruled out, the Australian selectors have been forced to dig deep into their fast-bowling reserves. Meanwhile, England’s camp, buoyed by a sense of opportunity, is eager to exploit what some pundits are calling Australia’s weakest Ashes squad in 15 years.
At the heart of Australia’s contingency plans stands Jhye Richardson, the injury-plagued speedster whose name headlines the Cricket Australia XI set to face the England Lions in a four-day tour match at Lilac Hill. This encounter, running concurrently with the first Ashes Test, marks Richardson’s first significant step toward a long-awaited return to the Test arena. The 29-year-old, who has played just four first-class matches in as many years since his match-winning five-wicket haul in the 2021-22 Ashes, is being carefully managed as selectors hope to have him firing later in the summer.
“Ideally, Test cricket would be great. That’s been my goal for a long time now,” Richardson told cricket.com.au last month, reflecting on his arduous journey through three shoulder surgeries. He credits Cummins for helping him make the tough call to go under the knife once more: “Patty actually made a really good point to me, which probably tipped me over the edge to get surgery. (He asked), ‘what would I regret more post my career; would I regret staying the same knowing what I’ve got with my shoulder and what I’m dealing with, or would I regret not throwing everything at it and wondering what could have been?’”
The Cricket Australia XI for the Lilac Hill clash is a youthful mix, captained by Mackenzie Harvey and featuring eight players aged 24 or younger, including 2024 U19 World Cup winners Charlie Anderson and Aidan O’Connor. Jake Fraser-McGurk, the only other internationally capped player in the squad, brings some vital experience. An additional Test squad member—likely Brendan Doggett or Josh Inglis—will be added to the roster, a decision expected to be finalized just before the match. This CA XI faces an England Lions outfit coached by Andrew Flintoff and shadowing England’s main Test touring party.
Australia’s bowling stocks have been stretched thin. Cummins’ absence is compounded by Josh Hazlewood’s recent hamstring scare, although scans have cleared him of any serious damage. “He will train as planned in the lead up to the first Test in Perth,” Cricket Australia confirmed. Hazlewood himself appeared upbeat, with Cummins noting, “Joshy was pretty chipper when he got out, so hopefully he should be fine.” Steve Smith, who steps in as captain for the first Test, echoed the cautious optimism: “He [Hazlewood] literally bowled his last ball and I looked at him and said, ‘how are you going?’ He’s like, ‘I’m a bit tight in my hamstring.’ I was like, ‘Get off the field. Disappear. You’re done, go and figure it out.’ Fortunately, it was just some tightness and he’s good.”
But the news wasn’t as kind for Sean Abbott, who has been ruled out of the series opener with a moderate grade hamstring injury. Abbott, picked as a reserve bowler for the Perth Test, faces a “return to play plan” over the coming weeks, which opens the door for South Australian seamer Brendan Doggett. Doggett’s recent form—13 Sheffield Shield wickets at an average of 14.69—makes him a strong candidate for a Test debut. “He’s really well placed to be vying for a spot in that first Test. It’s always nice to have a squad full of people in form, and he’s certainly one of those guys,” said Cummins.
The list of unavailable bowlers doesn’t stop there. Lance Morris, a nationally contracted quick, is out for the summer following back surgery, and Spencer Johnson is also sidelined. Fringe options like Michael Neser and Xavier Bartlett are being considered as backup, highlighting just how stretched Australia’s resources are ahead of a grueling Ashes campaign.
England, meanwhile, sense a rare opening. Veteran seamer James Anderson, who will be absent from the Ashes for the first time in two decades, told TNT Sports, “Australia have been so strong and so consistent in their team selection over the last 10 years, that this probably is their weakest team (in the last 15 years). There are doubts around who’s going to bat in the top three, Pat Cummins missing is huge. There are question marks there, definitely, and there are cracks that England could potentially expose. There’s a great chance for England to get on top early.”
Anderson’s assessment aligns with that of former teammate Stuart Broad, who also labeled this Australian squad as the least formidable since England’s 2010/11 triumph Down Under. Despite David Warner’s bullish prediction of a 4-0 series win for Australia, the English camp remains quietly confident. “I don’t think England are quite favourites, I’d say Australia are still favourites, in Australia. There’s still a lot of quality in their batting line-up, there’s still a lot of quality with their bowlers as well, even if Cummins is missing,” Anderson added. “So I think they probably just edge out England in terms of being favourites, but I don’t think there’s much in it. It’s a tough one to call, so I’d say Australia, just.”
For Australia, the next week is about managing workloads and hoping for no further setbacks. The coaching staff will keep Richardson on a strict overs restriction against the Lions, gradually building his bowling loads with a view to a possible Ashes recall. If all goes well, Richardson could also feature for Australia A against the Lions at Allan Border Field starting December 5, a day after the second Ashes Test in Brisbane. Western Australia, meanwhile, will be without several key players for their concurrent Sheffield Shield fixtures.
The 2025-26 NRMA Insurance Men’s Ashes schedule is packed: after the opener in Perth (November 21-25), action moves to The Gabba in Brisbane (December 4-8), then Adelaide Oval (December 17-21), the MCG in Melbourne (December 26-30), and finally the SCG in Sydney (January 4-8, 2026). With Australia’s lineup in flux and England eager to pounce, the series promises drama from the outset.
As both squads finalize preparations and selectors weigh up last-minute changes, all eyes will be on Perth for the opening salvos of this storied contest. With so many variables in play and a host of fresh faces set to make their mark, this Ashes series is shaping up to be as unpredictable as any in recent memory.
