Photo via CricTracker

England book Australia warm-up after learning from Ashes preparation mistakes

England’s cricket leadership has overhauled their preparation strategy ahead of this winter’s white-ball tour of Australia, directly addressing the missteps that contributed to their 4-1 Ashes Test defeat last year. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has scheduled a 50-over warm-up match against Western Australia at the WACA in Perth on November 7—just six days before their ODI series begins—marking the first white-ball preparation fixture for England in six years.

The move reflects a deliberate shift after criticism over last winter’s rushed Test tour prep, which included only a single in-house warm-up at Lilac Hill, a club ground with conditions far removed from Optus Stadium, where England lost the opening Test in under two days. ECB chair Richard Thompson confirmed the changes stem from a formal agreement with Cricket Australia to standardize warm-up protocols, ensuring both teams receive equal access to optimal facilities and wickets for future Ashes series.

The new arrangement also codifies these preparations, removing reliance on informal goodwill between administrators. Meanwhile, England’s schedule remains packed, with a tri-series in Pakistan against hosts and Sri Lanka later this month before their Australia commitments, which include three ODIs and five T20Is from November 13 to December 2.

Up nextCricket· 18m ago

Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma nominated for ICC Player of the Month award for September 2026