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Welcome to the inaugural edition of Daily Mail Sport’s Ashes Breakfast, your go-to source for updates on the eagerly awaited tour of Australia. Stay informed with all the key moments you might have missed.
Richard Gibson delivers the latest insights from behind the scenes at Perth Stadium.
Shoaib’s seniorityÂ
On the morning of the match, Shoaib Bashir was not included in England’s lineup. However, his growing influence within the team was evident as he took his place in the front row of the official Ashes tour photo.
Sitting on the far left among nine seated players, Bashir was next to opening batsman Ben Duckett. On the opposite end of the row, Jofra Archer was seated beside Mark Wood.
Among the seven standing players behind them, Jamie Smith boasted the highest number of caps, matching Archer’s total of 16. Archer’s earlier debut earned him a spot among the ‘seniors’.
Shoaib Bashir (bottom left) carries enough seniority in the team to make the front row of England’s official Ashes photo taken at Optus Stadium
Optus opticsÂ
Preparations for the series opener this week included the removal of all Optus signage inside the ground. It involved workmen on harnesses taking one down from the third tier of the 60,000 seater venue – more than 30 metres up.
For Australian Rules Football, the ground is known as the Optus Stadium, but whenever international cricket is played here, it becomes the Perth Stadium – hence, the ‘cleaning up’ of the stands.
The flip-flopping of its name is down to the finer details of the £25million, 10-year sponsorship deal Optus signed with the Western Australian state government that expires in 2028.
England media manager’s TV gaffeÂ
England’s players highlighted their relaxed mood on the opening morning, walking to the ground – a 10-minute stroll from the team hotel.
That mood also transferred onto the field pre-play when Joe Root’s television interview with Michael Vaughan, which was going out live, was inadvertently interrupted by England media manager Danny Reuben.
The popular Reuben did not realise the two former England captains were about to start chatting as he made his way across the outfield into the line of the camera.
Vaughan kept his composure, introducing Reuben to Australian viewers, and thrusting the microphone towards him, adding that his fellow commentator Mark Howard reckoned the Yorkshireman was the best in the business in his role.
‘Well, he’s not wrong, is he?’ Reuben smiled, before realising from the others’ demeanour that he was on the telly and making his exit.
Joe Root, seen after being dismissed by Mitchell Starc, was part of a light-hearted TV gaffe earlier in the day involving the England media manager
Southee to head northÂ
England bowling consultant Tim Southee leaves the tour after this first Test, but there are plans in place for him to return later in the Ashes.
Southee is heading to the United Arab Emirates to play in the ILT20, but fellow New Zealander Brendon McCullum wants him back amongst his coaching team for the Sydney Test.
The final of the Twenty20 competition is on January 4, the opening day of the fifth match between Australia and England, meaning that he will only be available to rejoin the tour in the event that his team Sharjah Warriors do not make it that far.
Tim Southee (above) will leave the Ashes tour after the first Test but will come backÂ
Gale makes waves with AussiesÂ
Less than 10 miles down the road at Lilac Hill, an Englishman was on the coaching staff of the Cricket Australia XI taking on England Lions.
Andrew Gale was assistant coach under Adam Griffith for the four-day fixture that also began on Friday morning.
Gale, 41, has made a big impression in Australian cricket circles, with his work as Tasmania’s pathways coach, since continuing his career down under.
He was one of the 16 people found to have been ‘wrongly’ sacked by Yorkshire four years ago in light of Azeem Rafiq’s claims of institutional racism at the club.
Hottest ticket in townÂ
The attendance at the start of play was 43,591 – a record for any day of Test cricket in Perth, exceeding the crowd of 32,368 for day one of Australia v India last year.
The curtain raiser of the 2025-26 Ashes was officially a 60,000 sell-out, with the remainder of ticket holders expected to be through the gates by the afternoon session.
Members at the ground began queueing at 8am on a first come, first served basis. Approximately 15,000 of them, they are not guaranteed one of the 10,000 seats.
