England head coach Brendon McCullum has confirmed that the upcoming selection meeting for the 2025 Ashes squad will be brief, with the group largely settled. The squad for the tour of Australia, starting in November, is set to be announced in the week commencing September 22.
According to McCullum, discussion will mainly focus on deciding the second spinner behind first-choice Shoaib Bashir. “We need to have a little bit of communication around that, work out exactly what that role is, where we see there may be an opportunity,” McCullum said on Test Match Special.
He added that the decision may only affect one Test or come into play if Bashir is unavailable. “Outside of that, I’d say we’re pretty certain of what we want,” he added, emphasizing the clarity surrounding the rest of the squad.
The announcement follows an abandoned final T20 against South Africa in Nottingham, which ended in a 1-1 series draw. England now travels to Dublin for a three-match T20 series against Ireland, beginning Wednesday, with assistant Marcus Trescothick stepping in while McCullum skips the series.
England will not include a specialist back-up wicketkeeper to Jamie Smith, with Ollie Pope capable of deputizing if required. McCullum also suggested that England might carry up to seven specialist seamers, bringing the total squad to 17 players.
Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, and Josh Tongue are confirmed selections, potentially joined by Matthew Potts and one additional pace bowler. Leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed is the frontrunner for Bashir’s backup role, although left-arm spinner Liam Dawson featured in the last two Tests against India.
“It’s a pretty easy squad to pick really,” McCullum remarked, highlighting the settled nature of the team. He noted the tour’s length and breaks between Tests, which will require careful management of player intensity and focus.
“There is lots to look forward to. There is lots of preparation that has gone into it. Now it’s time to get it on,” he said, expressing confidence and excitement for the upcoming tour.
With the squad announcement imminent, England looks well-prepared for the long and challenging Ashes series in Australia, balancing experience, pace, and spin options across a well-rounded group of players.
The Ashes 2025 series is expected to test England’s depth, particularly in the bowling department, and McCullum’s approach reflects a pragmatic strategy to manage resources while keeping the team competitive across all six Tests.
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