England’s cricket board has arranged a 50‑over warm‑up match against a Western Australia XI at the historic WACA ground ahead of the team’s one‑day international (ODI) series with the host nation in November. This decision comes after a wave of criticism that the side entered the previous Ashes series without any meaningful exposure to local conditions, a factor many commentators believe contributed to their humiliating 4‑1 defeat. During the 2023‑24 Ashes, England’s only preparatory fixture before the first Test was an intra‑squad game held at Lilac Hill, a modest club venue that offered none of the steep bounce and extra‑pace that characterize Western Australian pitches. The lack of genuine opposition left the English players under‑prepared for the hostile environment they encountered in Perth, where they were bundled out in just two days.
White‑ball specialist Brendon McCullum, who oversaw the Test side during that disastrous Ashes campaign, had publicly expressed his intention to secure warm‑up matches for the upcoming tour. His wish has now been fulfilled: the English squad will face the Western Australia XI on 7 November at the WACA, giving them a chance to acclimatise to the surface, test their strategies and fine‑tune their line‑up before the official series begins. The first ODI of the tour is scheduled for 13 November at Perth’s Optus Stadium, followed by two more fixtures in Adelaide on 15 November and Hobart on 18 November. After the three‑match ODI series, England will contest a five‑match T20 International (T20I) series, with games spread across Melbourne, the Gold Coast’s Carrara stadium, Brisbane, Sydney and Canberra.
These matches will provide a comprehensive exposure to Australian conditions across formats, something that was sorely missing from the previous tour. While the full touring party has yet to be announced, there are several key selections that fans are eagerly awaiting. All‑rounder Jacob Bethell, who missed the latter part of the English domestic season due to a knee injury and subsequent surgery, is expected to be fit and ready for the Australian leg of the tour. His return would add depth to England’s batting order and give the side an extra bowling option.
In addition to the Australian itinerary, England will take part in an ODI tri‑series in Pakistan, which also features Sri Lanka, beginning on 20 October. This tournament will serve as a further warm‑up and a chance to test combinations before the high‑stakes matches in Australia.
One of the more intriguing squad developments is the inclusion of Glamorgan’s leg‑spinner Mason Crane, who has been called up to replace the recently dropped Rehan Ahmed. Crane’s selection marks his potential first appearance for England since the 2017‑18 Ashes, where he endured a challenging debut, delivering 48 overs for 1‑193 in a match that highlighted the steep learning curve of international red‑ball cricket.
Since that early test experience, Crane has worked tirelessly on his game. In the 2026 domestic season he featured in all 14 County Championship fixtures, claiming 34 wickets and impressively scoring two centuries, demonstrating his growing prowess as a genuine all‑rounder. In the shorter format, he also took 15 wickets in the Vitality Blast, underscoring his adaptability across formats. Former England captain Michael Atherton discussed Crane’s recall on the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast, describing it as a compelling narrative.
"Crane’s call‑up is a great story," Atherton said. "He had a hellish introduction to Test cricket, but I thought he showed a lot of character in that game and didn’t bowl as badly as his figures suggested." Atherton praised Crane’s maturity, noting that at 29 he has accumulated valuable experience both on and off the field.
"He has reaped the benefit of both a bit of experience – he is 29 now and has been around the block – and being at a county where he is getting plenty of game time. His batting has come on as well, which is not going to harm his chances at all," the former captain added.
The former England skipper also weighed in on the decision to drop Ahmed in favour of Crane. "I am happy England have moved on from Ahmed from a spin‑bowling side as I feel there are better leg‑spinners than him.
To my mind, Ahmed is principally a batter first who bowls leg‑spin, whereas I see Crane the other way," Atherton explained. He suggested that while Ahmed still has a future, England must clarify his role within the squad. Looking ahead, Atherton believes Crane could be a mainstay in the side through the winter, especially with a Test series in Bangladesh slated for February.
"Crane is definitely a better leg‑spinner than him for me and England may be looking at him for the rest of the winter," he concluded. Overall, the decision to schedule a genuine warm‑up match in Western Australia reflects a more pragmatic approach by England’s management, aiming to avoid the pitfalls of insufficient preparation that plagued the Ashes campaign. By confronting local opposition, adjusting to the fast, bouncy wickets and giving players like Bethell and Crane a platform to prove themselves, England hopes to arrive in Australia better equipped to compete across all formats. The upcoming series will test whether these adjustments translate into improved performances on the field, and fans will be watching closely to see if the lessons from past shortcomings have been fully absorbed.