England will take on a Western Australia XI in a 50-over warm-up fixture at the WACA on November 7, providing match practice ahead of their ODI series against Australia in November. The decision to arrange this warm-up game comes after the team faced significant criticism for failing to schedule any matches against local opposition before their Ashes campaign last winter.
The Test side's only preparation before their 4-1 series defeat was an intra-squad match held at Lilac Hill, a club ground that bore little resemblance to the challenging conditions they encountered in Perth. England lost that opening Test inside two days, highlighting the inadequacy of their pre-tour arrangements.
White-ball coach Brendon McCullum, who oversaw the Test team during the Ashes humbling, had publicly stated his intention to arrange warm-up matches for this tour. His squad will now face the Western Australia XI at the WACA, with the match scheduled for Saturday, November 7, with the first ball at 11:30 a.m. AWST.
The first one-day international against Australia takes place on November 13 in Perth at Optus Stadium, followed by fixtures in Adelaide on November 15 and Hobart on November 18. McCullum's side will then contest five T20 internationals across Melbourne, Carrara, Brisbane, Sydney and Canberra, with the tour's final T20I scheduled for December 2 in Canberra.
England have named Harry Brook as captain of both Australia-tour squads, with Jofra Archer and Jacob Bethell returning to the ODI group. Bethell has been sidelined since the end of the home summer following knee surgery, and his fitness will be monitored closely. The squad announcement also included first England call-ups for Thomas Rew and Eddie Jack in the T20 setup.
Prior to the Australia assignment, England will compete in an ODI tri-series in Pakistan alongside Sri Lanka, beginning on October 20. This tournament forms part of England's broader preparation for the 2027 50-over World Cup in southern Africa.
Crane's recall marks fresh chapter after 2018 struggles
Glamorgan leg-spinner Mason Crane has been recalled to the squad for the Pakistan tri-series, replacing dropped spinner Rehan Ahmed. Crane is targeting his first international appearance since the 2017-18 Ashes, when he made a difficult Test debut in Sydney.
During that debut, Crane recorded bowling figures of 1-193 from 48 overs on a challenging red-ball surface. Despite the harsh figures, he has since developed considerably as a cricketer. The former Hampshire bowler has enjoyed a strong domestic season in 2026, featuring in all 14 County Championship games and taking 34 wickets while also contributing two centuries with the bat. He added 15 Vitality Blast wickets to his tally.
Former England captain Michael Atherton offered his assessment of Crane's recall on the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast, saying:
Crane's call-up is a great story. He had a hellish introduction to Test cricket but I thought he showed a lot of character in that game and didn't bowl as badly as his figures suggested.
Atherton highlighted Crane's development over time, noting:
He has reaped the benefit of both a bit of experience - he is 29 now and been around the block - and being at a county where he is getting plenty of game time. His batting has come on as well which is not going to harm his chances at all.
The former skipper was emphatic about England's decision to move away from Ahmed, stating:
I am happy England have moved on from Ahmed from a spin-bowling side as I feel there are better leg-spinners than him. To my mind, Ahmed is principally a batter first who bowls leg-spin whereas I see Crane the other way.
Atherton suggested Ahmed's future remains open but acknowledged the need for clarity on his role.
There is time for Ahmed to come back but England have to work out how they see his role and he does, too. Crane is definitely a better leg-spinner than him for me and England may be looking at him for the rest of the winter [with a Test series in Bangladesh in February].
Squad changes and injury updates
The T20 squad omits several key players who are being rested ahead of the South Africa Test tour. Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Sonny Baker and Josh Tongue have all been left out to manage their workload during a demanding schedule.
Phil Salt returns to the T20 setup after recovering from a quad injury, providing England with additional batting depth. However, Jos Buttler remains unavailable following hamstring surgery, limiting options in the middle order.
The T20 squad includes two uncapped players making their first England call-ups: 18-year-old Somerset wicketkeeper-batter Thomas Rew and 21-year-old Hampshire seamer Eddie Jack. Both represent the next generation of English cricket talent being integrated into the international setup.
