Star-studded Sheffield Shield round starts final Ashes warm-ups
All but one member of Australia's Ashes squad will participate in Sheffield Shield matches this week as they prepare for the first Test. This comes as a rare luxury of hosting the Ashes at home, allowing the players to experience a full week of strong warm-up games.
Australian squad involvement
Except for Usman Khawaja, every Australian player is set to compete in Sheffield Shield matches at the SCG, WACA, and Bellerive Oval over the coming days. This opportunity offers meaningful match practice ahead of the Ashes series.
England's preparation approach
Meanwhile, England is conducting a three-day intra-squad game at Perth's Lilac Hill, a venue without prior men's international matches. Former England captain Michael Vaughan recently expressed concerns about how England’s preparation differs significantly from the conditions at Optus Stadium.
“England can prepare however they want to prepare,” said Nathan Lyon. “I am not worried about how they're preparing or anything to do with them until the morning of November 21.”
Background on warm-up games
England’s preparation style is not unusual given the increasingly crowded cricket calendar, which has reduced the number of traditional warm-up matches. During Australia's 2023 tour of England, they played no warm-up games before the Test Championship final but still won that match and the first two Ashes Tests.