The Ashes 2023: when will England name squad for cricket series? Australia name 17-man squad including David Warner

The Ashes buzz is beginning to grow following Australia’s recent announcement of their squad for the World Test Championship against India and first two Ashes Test matches.

England’s new ‘Bazball’ cricket will face their toughest battle yet when they take on Pat Cummins and company in June and July for the historic five match series, however there are some names in the Australian camp which will both surprise and delight the likes of Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes. The inclusion of David Warner is hardly a shock but one which is raising some eyebrows due to his lack of run contributions in recent Test matches.

The Aussie opener averaged just 9.5 in the 2019 Ashes series and has scored just one three-figure score in 32 innings. Additionally, Josh Hazlewood has been selected despite only recently returning from two lengthy injury lay-offs with England hoping this means he may not quite be back to full strength by the time Friday 16 June comes around.

So while the England selectors and fans mull over what to expect from the Australians in just under two months time, here is all you need to know about who could play for England...

When is the Ashes 2023?

Here is the full schedule for the men’s Ashes series for 2023:

• First Test: Friday 16 June - Tuesday 20 June, Edgbaston
• Second Test: Wednesday 28 June - Sunday 2 July, Lord’s
• Third Test: Thursday 6 July - Monday 10 July, Headingley
• Fourth Test: Wednesday 19 July - Sunday 23 July, Emirates Old Trafford
• Fifth Test: Thursday 27 July - Monday 31 July, Kia Oval

When will England name Ashes squad?

It has not yet been confirmed when England will name their Ashes squad to face Australia.

Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes will face several tough squad decisions as ‘Bazball’ arguably prepares for its hardest challenge yet. With the inclusion of Warner in the squad, England fans will be hoping to see Stuart Broad resume his 2019 heroics which saw the Nottinghamshire bowler take the Australian opener’s wicket seven out of ten possible times.

However, there are a plethora of seam bowling options available and the pairing of McCullum and Stokes could opt for a younger set-up than the veteran combination of Broad and James Anderson who now have taken over 1,000 wickets in Test matches where they have both been playing. On their radar will also be Ollie Robinson, Mark Wood, Jofra Archer, Matthew Potts, Chris Woakes and Saqib Mahmood to name just a few.

Meanwhile, selectors will have another headache when it comes to the batting line-up. McCullum and Stokes appear to favour the often out-of-form Zak Crawley to open alongside Ben Duckett while questions will also be asked where Jonny Bairstow fits into a side with a very much in-form Harry Brook as well as Ollie Pope and Ben Foakes. Bairstow, who suffered a freak injury last autumn, is preparing for his grand return to the squad ahead of this summer but may find it hard to slip straight back in due to the overpowering presence of Harry Brook. With Brook currently undroppable for the first Test at least, it looks like Ben Foakes - England’s best glovesman - may suffer the consequences due to Bairstow’s ability with the bat.

Potential 17-man squad: Ben Stokes, Tom Abell, Rehan Ahmed, James Anderson, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Harry Brooks, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Ben Duckett, Ben Foakes, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Olli Robinson, Joe Root, Mark Wood

Australia full squad:

Pat Cummins (captain), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Todd Murphy, Matthew Renshaw, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, David Warner