England will play their first white-ball tour warm-up match in six years when they face a Western Australia XI in Perth on November 7, adding a competitive fixture to their preparations for an eight-match limited-overs tour of Australia.
The 50-over game at the WACA will take place six days before England open their three-match ODI series against Australia at Perth Stadium. According to a report by BBC Sport’s Matthew Henry, the fixture forms part of a broader shift in England’s touring preparations following criticism of their approach before last winter’s Ashes.
England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) Chair Richard Thompson said at an event at Lord’s: “There is a lot that was learned. You have to remember these decisions are taken so far ahead. The reality is in those decisions, mistakes were made and we’ve corrected that now.”
England change approach after Ashes preparation
England entered the previous Ashes without playing a conventional tour match against local opposition. Their only warm-up was an intra-squad fixture against the England Lions at Lilac Hill, a club venue in Perth whose conditions differed significantly from those awaiting them at Optus Stadium.
They subsequently lost the opening Test inside two days and went on to suffer a 4-1 series defeat. At the time, the ECB said it had been informed that the WACA was unavailable for England’s preparations.
Brendon McCullum, who was then overseeing both the Test and white-ball teams, later acknowledged shortcomings in the Ashes build-up. He has since left his role as Test Head Coach but remains responsible for England’s white-ball sides.
The Western Australia fixture represents a different approach ahead of his team’s return to the country, giving England an opportunity to play local opposition before the ODI series rather than beginning the tour directly with an international.
ECB and Cricket Australia formalise preparation arrangements
Changes to England’s touring schedule extend beyond November’s white-ball series. The ECB and Cricket Australia have reached a reciprocal agreement intended to improve the preparation available to visiting teams ahead of future Ashes contests.
Thompson said: “These things are codified and in an agreement, so we’re not relying on goodwill. It can’t be a situation where a board chair or CEO move on and the goodwill falls away. It’s important the Ashes has the best prep for both teams, the best wickets and the best facilities. That’s something you will see going forward for both teams.”
England also have warm-up fixtures planned ahead of Test tours to South Africa and Bangladesh during the winter, as well as before the one-off 150th anniversary Test against Australia in Melbourne in March. Those matches had been arranged before Stephen Fleming replaced McCullum as Test Head Coach.
The November game against Western Australia is partly connected to the new arrangement between the ECB and Cricket Australia, while also serving England’s separate objective of giving their white-ball squad more match preparation.
McCullum targets experience ahead of ODI World Cup
England’s decision comes as they continue rebuilding in the 50-over format ahead of next year’s ODI World Cup.
Despite winning their past three ODI series, the squad remains relatively inexperienced at international level. Joe Root was the only member of England’s most recent ODI XI to have played more than 50 matches in the format, while Jos Buttler and Adil Rashid are among the other senior figures in the wider white-ball setup.
England White-Ball Head Coach Brendon McCullum said after England’s victory over Sri Lanka: “Aside from Jos, Joe and Adil Rashid, there’s not a lot of experience in that side. We’re going to try and put on a smattering of warm-up games to try and get guys up to speed as quickly as we can.”
England have at least 20 official matches scheduled before the ODI World Cup next autumn, giving McCullum opportunities to develop a group that has undergone significant change.
Before travelling to Australia, England will contest a 50-over tri-series in Pakistan alongside the hosts and Sri Lanka from October 20.
Eight-match Australia tour begins in Perth
The Western Australia warm-up will be followed by three ODIs against Australia, beginning at Perth Stadium on November 13. The series then moves to Adelaide on November 15 before concluding in Hobart on November 18.
Five T20Is will follow between November 21 and December 2, with matches scheduled across Melbourne, Carrara, Brisbane, Sydney and Canberra.
England are expected to take a strong squad into the ODI portion of the tour, although some Test players could be managed during the T20I series ahead of the subsequent Test tour of South Africa.
Australia will face their own workload considerations after completing a three-Test series in South Africa on October 31, with a four-Test home series against New Zealand beginning on December 9.
The November 7 fixture therefore gives England a dedicated competitive preparation window before the international leg begins, marking a return to the kind of tour warm-up their white-ball sides have gone without for the past six years.
