Overview

• Key said Pope remains the man in possession at No. 3, with the final XI to be confirmed shortly before the Perth opener and Jacob Bethell auditioning on the New Zealand white-ball tour.
• Chris Woakes was omitted after dislocating his shoulder, with Key stating he is not in England's plans at present.
• Will Jacks was selected as tactical spin cover behind Shoaib Bashir and as a lower-order option, with an all-pace attack under consideration based on conditions.
• Ben Stokes' lack of recent match action is not a concern, and Mark Wood is expected to be fit for Perth.
• England's pace-focused squad features express options including Jofra Archer and Wood, alongside Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Matthew Potts and Josh Tongue.