• Source:JND
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Ashes 2025/26: England's selection panel on Tuesday announced a 16-player squad for the highly anticipated 2025/26 Ashes tour of Australia with the big guns Ben Stokes, Mark Wood and Jofra Archer returning to the Test fold after their respective injuries.

Captain Ben Stokes will lead the team in the five-Test series while Harry Brook has been confirmed as England's vice-captain for the tour, taking over the role from Ollie Pope.

Stokes is still on the road to recovery from a shoulder injury that forced him to miss the fifth and final Test against India at The Oval in August.

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A statement from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) states that Stokes remains on track to be available for the first Test against Australia in the upcoming Ashes series.

"Test Captain Ben Stokes continues his recovery from the shoulder injury that ruled him out of the final Test against India at the Kia Oval and remains on track to be available for the start of the Test series in November," ECB said in a statement.

After being sidelined for about four months following knee surgery after suffering medial ligament damage during the ICC Champions Trophy in February, Mark Wood has been included in the Test squad.

"Spinner Shoaib Bashir is available again after recovering from the finger injury sustained during the home series against India," the statement further read.

Matthew Potts and batting all-rounder Will Jacks are both included. Potts last featured in December 2024 against New Zealand, while Jacks won his most recent Test cap in December 2022 against Pakistan.

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Despite sustaining a broken finger during England's recent T20I series against South Africa, England all-rounder Will Jacks is anticipated to be fit for the upcoming Ashes series against Australia.

"Jacks will miss the white-ball tour of New Zealand with a broken finger but is expected to be fit for the Ashes," ECB added.

England Men's Test squad for 2025/26 Ashes Series:

Ben Stokes (Captain), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook (Vice-Captain), Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue and Mark Wood.