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The ‘overloaded’ Women’s Ashes schedule includes a fixture schedule so congested that England and Australia players have not had enough time to prepare for matches.
The two teams will play seven matches, including a four-day Test match, in just 22 days as Heather Knight’s side look to win their first Ashes since 2013-14. The Ashes have always been the focal point of any English team, and the profile of women’s football has continued to rise in recent years, so much so that it was awarded the first ever day-night Test at Melbourne Cricket Ground for the 2025 edition. series. This will be a historic occasion.
No women’s team has played a Test there since 1949, but there is a risk the Ashes series schedule will have taken its toll on the players before the draw is made at the MCG.
“The schedule is quite busy,” admitted England head coach Jon Lewis. “I don’t think it’s ideal to fly the next day [after a game] then play the next day. I think that’s something that’s going to be really difficult and something that we need to think about.
England attempted to soften the impact of the schedule by selecting a large squad with options in almost every position. “I don’t think you’ll see — on either side — consistent selection across the board,” Lewis said.
The Ashes schedule may not be ideal for Lewis and the players, but it is a symptom of the expansion of the women’s game, with the series almost squeezed between Christmas and the Women’s Premier League.
There is no red ball (or in this case, pink ball) warm-up, with the test taking place at the end of the series for the first time since the introduction of the multi-format points-based system. Lewis called for the introduction of multi-day domestic cricket in England to allow players to better prepare when they receive a first Test cap, but with women’s cricket having undergone its third revolution in eight years, still without cricket with a red ball. , this is unlikely to happen.
The Ashes will pit Australia, who have dominated women’s cricket for the past decade, against an England team who have impressed in bilateral series while failing in major tournaments, such as the recent T20 World Cup. Lewis believes England are “a better team” than when they returned to draw the Ashes at home in 2023, despite losing the Test early in the series.
The England hierarchy have placed their faith in a core of experienced players, making only four additions to the squad since the last series: Freya Kemp, Linsey Smith (T20 team only), wicketkeeper Bess Heath (T20 and Test) and Ryana MacDonald-Gay (Test). Knight will continue to lead the team as she has in every series since taking over from Charlotte Edwards in 2016.
England women’s ODI team
Heather Knight (captain), Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Kate Cross, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Sarah Glenn, Amy Jones, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Danni Wyatt-Hodge
England Women’s IT20 Team
Heather Knight (captain), Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Danielle Gibson, Sarah Glenn, Bess Heath, Amy Jones, Freya Kemp, Linsey Smith, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Danni Wyatt-Hodge
England women’s test team
Heather Knight (captain), Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Kate Cross, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Bess Heath, Amy Jones, Ryana MacDonald-Gay, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Danni Wyatt-Hodge
