5 months ago
5
England called up spinner Shoaib Bashir and seamer Matthew Potts for the last Ashes trial against Australia opening connected Sunday (January 4, 2026) with 1 of them acceptable to fill the void created by Gus Atkinson's injury-induced absence.
Atkinson wounded his near hamstring during England's triumph successful the 4th trial successful Melbourne to beryllium the 3rd English accelerated bowler — aft Mark Wood and Jofra Archer — to person his Ashes run chopped short by injury.
With the aboveground astatine the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) traditionally assisting spinners, the upwind forecast — with storms and rainfall expected connected the archetypal 2 days — means Bashir cannot instrumentality his 20th trial quality for granted.
England mislaid the accidental to reclaim the Ashes urn aft a chapeau instrumentality of defeats but would beryllium buoyant aft prevailing in the frenetic two-day trial successful Melbourne.
Chief curator Adam Lewis was hopeful the SCG trial would widen into a 5th day.
"You privation to spot greenish tinge 3 days out," Lewis said of the aboveground connected Friday (January 2, 2026).
"If you're not seeing immoderate unrecorded writer 3 days out, past that's erstwhile (it's a worry) ... I'm truly comfy with wherever we're sitting.
"We had a small spot of prima this morning. They're saying a spot much prima tomorrow. That volition instrumentality the greenness retired of the pitch. We're truly blessed with the pitches astatine the moment."
England squad for the 5th Ashes test
Ben Stokes (captain), Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wicketkeeper), Josh Tongue
