Alastair Cook names his England XI for first Ashes Test against Australia and says 'I would hit them really hard'

The Ashes series is now less than a month away, and fans are analysing just who will be the men that step into Perth's Optus Stadium on November 21 for five days of intense cricket. TNT Sports put Sir Alastair Cook into the England selectors' chair for one time only, and he made an interesting call on the make-up of his bowling attack. Watch and stream the Ashes on TNT Sports and discovery+.

Who is in your England XI to take on Australia in the looming Ashes opener in Perth?

Brendon McCullum's tourists go into the series - which is live on TNT Sports and discovery+ - with relatively few question marks around their selection, but there are still decisions to be made, especially around the composition of the bowling attack.

Should spinner Shoaib Bashir play? Or is there a case for a pace-only line-up? And is Ollie Pope secure at three?

Ashes 2025

Brook, Bethell cautioned for Wellington nightclub incident

01/04/2026 at 21:05

We put this thorny task to former England skipper Sir Alastair Cook - and here's what he went with.

Cook's England XI to face Australia in Perth

Cook begins: "Clearly without seeing the Perth pitch, and whether the spinner is needed - and I hate going into a game without a specialist spinner - but I would go with...

Zak Crawley
Ben Duckett
Ollie Pope
Joe Root
Harry Brook
Ben Stokes
Jamie Smith
Gus Atkinson
Jofra Archer
Mark Wood
Brydon Carse

"That [XI] makes sure that if the pitch is like it has played recently, where there hasn't been much spin, I'd go that way.

"It keeps Stokesy fresh, you've got five seamers - we'll need Ben Stokes later on in the series.

"I would hit them really hard, there's a big break between the first and second game anyway. I think that's how I would go.

"Obviously if it's 40 degrees and the pitch looks flat, you need to put a spinner in.

"But if we go with what's happened in Perth before, the last couple of times they've played at the new Optus Stadium, that's the side I'd pick."

England carrying 'good momentum' says Brook after T20 series win over New Zealand

Video credit: TNT Sports

Cook disagrees with McGrath and sees an England triumph

Meanwhile, Cook also shared his series score prediction with TNT Sports ahead of the showdown in Australia.

"I'm going 3-1 England, [I] have to back England," Cook said.

"Glenn McGrath backs Australia 5-0 every time but I'll always back England.

"Is there a chance? There is an absolute chance that England will win this series, a big chance.

"They're not favourites, Australia are favourites, we know that in their home conditions.

"But what I do know is this England side has the fire and capability, that if things go well and they get on the right side of the luck and they play well, they can definitely, definitely cause some serious damage to this Australian side."

That prediction, of course, went against that of Australia great McGrath.

"It's very rare for me to make a prediction, isn't it? And I can't make a different one - 5-0," McGrath told the BBC.

"I'm very confident with our team. When you've got Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon firing in their home conditions, it's going to be pretty tough.

"Plus, that track record England have had. It [will] be interesting to see if they can win a Test."

---

Watch and stream the 2025/26 Ashes series live on TNT Sports and discovery+

Ashes 2025

'A terrible mistake' - Brook 'extremely sorry' for bouncer incident before dismal Ashes

21/01/2026 at 11:00

Ashes 2025

Anderson: England 'in stronger position than Australia' despite Ashes humbling

10/01/2026 at 10:28