The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has announced a 12-member squad for the first Ashes Test against Australia, scheduled to begin on Friday in Perth. The squad includes off-spinner Shoaib Bashir and four frontline pace bowlers, emphasizing England’s focus on pace-friendly conditions. Mark Wood, who recently recovered from an injury, has been retained after proving his fitness in the nets, while Josh Tongue has been left out. Brydon Carse earns a place in the squad, and Ollie Pope is set to bat at number three, replacing Jacob Bethell. England’s pace attack will feature Carse, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, and Wood, with Ben Stokes leading the side. The squad aims to balance experience and youth as England looks to start the Ashes series strongly in Australian conditions.

Former England cricketer and long-time ICC match referee Chris Broad has accused the International Cricket Council of showing open favoritism toward India during his 21-year career. In a recent interview with The Telegraph, Broad claimed that he received direct phone calls instructing him not to impose penalties on the Indian team for offenses like slow over rates. He said that despite wanting to act impartially, he was pressured to overlook violations because of India’s influence in world cricket. Broad also alleged that similar interference occurred in matches led by former India captain Sourav Ganguly, suggesting deep-rooted politics within the ICC. Having officiated over 600 international matches since 2003, Broad said that working under such political and administrative pressure was one of his toughest challenges. His ICC contract was not renewed in 2024, ending more than two decades of service as an international match referee.