England will play a 50-over warm-up match against a Western Australia XI at the WACA Ground in Perth on November 7. The fixture will give England valuable preparation before their three-match ODI series against Australia, which begins at Perth Stadium on November 13.
The eight-match white-ball tour will be played in November and December, with three ODIs followed by five T20Is. With the 2027 ODI World Cup less than a year away, the series will also give both teams an opportunity to assess their limited-overs combinations.
England Schedule WACA Warm-Up Ahead of Australia Series
England have opted for a competitive tour match this time after facing criticism during last year's Ashes tour for playing an intra-squad game at Lilac Hill before losing the Perth Test inside two days.
White-ball coach Brendon McCullum wants his relatively inexperienced players to face quality opposition before the ODI series. He highlighted the limited international experience in the squad beyond Jos Buttler, Joe Root and Adil Rashid.
“Aside from Jos [Buttler], Joe [Root] and Adil Rashid, there's not a lot of experience in that side. You've got to try to navigate what you can and try to include what you can alongside the opposition you're playing and make sure they are of high quality.”
Ashton Turner Excited for England Clash At WACA
Western Australia limited-overs captain Ashton Turner hopes a strong crowd attends the recently redeveloped WACA Ground. The match will also be the first involving a men's international team at the venue since India's T20 games against Western Australia in 2022.
“We have really good cricket wickets here in Perth. They’re unique, they have characteristics that are replicated in no other part of the world. We’re proud of that and we hope that it will be a challenge for domestic and touring international sides.”
“We’ve got some really exciting cricketers in Western Australia who are yet to become household names, but any time that we get to face international-quality opponents is a chance to up-skill.”
England, Western Australia Face Availability Challenges
The visiting team is expected to field a strong ODI squad, with Joe Root and Jofra Archer among the likely players involved. However, some Test regulars could be rested during the five-match T20I series from November 21 to December 2 ahead of England's Test tour of South Africa.
The Western Australia XI could face similar availability issues. Cameron Green, Josh Inglis, and Cooper Connolly are unlikely to feature after Australia's Test tour of South Africa. Lance Morris, Jhye Richardson, and Mahli Beardman could be options, depending on their fitness and workloads.
The WACA has previously provided opportunities for emerging Western Australian players. In the 2017-18 tour match against the Three Lions, Aaron Hardie dismissed Joe Root, while Josh Philippe scored an aggressive 88 against an attack featuring James Anderson and Stuart Broad.
After the warm-up, the English side will begin the ODI series against Australia at Perth Stadium on November 13. The second ODI will be played in Adelaide on November 15, followed by the third in Hobart on November 18.
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