England have sprung a surprise by recalling Will Jacks as the back-up spinner for the upcoming Ashes 2025 tour of Australia, while Harry Brook has been elevated as vice-captain, replacing Ollie Pope.
Jacks, who last played Test cricket in 2022, has leapfrogged Rehan Ahmed, Liam Dawson and Jack Leach to provide spin cover for Shoaib Bashir. Primarily a batter, the 26-year-old offers England flexibility and is considered well-suited to Australian conditions despite limited first-class wickets this year. He is currently recovering from a broken finger but is expected to be fit in time for the series.
Brook’s promotion as deputy to Ben Stokes could intensify the debate around Pope’s future at number three. While Pope has captained England in Stokes’ absence on several occasions, Brook’s emergence as a white-ball captain earlier this year and his reputation as an “emerging leader” under coach Brendon McCullum have tilted the balance.
The 16-man squad also features Mark Wood, who returns despite not playing a Test since August 2024 due to elbow and knee injuries. He joins a stacked pace unit of Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse and Josh Tongue, with Matthew Potts also recalled. Chris Woakes, recovering from a dislocated shoulder, was not considered.
England’s batting core looks settled with Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett opening, followed by Root, Brook and wicketkeeper Jamie Smith. Jacob Bethell remains in contention for the number three spot after impressing in ODIs, putting pressure on Pope.
The Ashes series begins on 21 November in Perth, with England eyeing their first series win in Australia since 2010-11. Stokes’ fitness will be key, as he continues to recover from a shoulder injury.
England’s Ashes squad: Ben Stokes (c), Harry Brook (vc), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wk), Josh Tongue, Mark Wood.
