England squad: England have named a 12-player squad for the fifth Ashes Test against Australia at Sydney, starting on Sunday, January 4, 2026. Spinner Shoaib Bashir and fast bowler Matthew Potts are included after Gus Atkinson was ruled out with a hamstring injury.
Atkinson is the only change from the team that won the fourth Test in Melbourne. Ollie Pope remains left out of the side. England are already unable to use Mark Wood and Jofra Archer, whose injuries ended their series earlier.
England are 3-1 down in the five-match series. Australia retained the Ashes after wins in Perth, Brisbane, and Adelaide. England won the fourth Test in Melbourne and is aiming to finish the tour with back-to-back wins and a 3-2 series scoreline.
Matthew Potts, the Durham seamer, has played 10 Tests so far and has taken 36 wickets at an average of 29.44. He last played a Test in December 2024 and is expected to be in contention to take the new ball at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Shoaib Bashir, aged 22, has been the England squad’s first-choice spinner for much of the past 18 months. He has fallen out of favor during this tour due to unhelpful pitches, low batting scores from the top order, and average practice form. England may still select him if the Sydney pitch offers significant spin.
Chief curator Adam Lewis said the pitch had a green tinge three days out, but he expected sunshine to reduce it, and he was confident the Test would last into a fifth day.
England squad for Ashes 2025
The England squad for the fifth Test is Ben Stokes (captain), Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wicketkeeper), and Josh Tongue.
The Ashes 2025-26 series results so far are Australia wins in Perth and Brisbane by eight wickets, an Australia win in Adelaide by 82 runs, and an England win in Melbourne by four wickets.
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