The Ashes 2025: What is the Prime Minister’s XI?

The Prime Minister’s XI is an invitational Australian cricket team chosen by the Australian Prime Minister, alongside national selectors.

The match is traditionally an annual warm-up against a touring side ahead of a series Test match.

Matches against the Prime Minister’s XI are held at the Manuka Oval in Canberra, and the team usually consists of promising players out of grade cricket based in Canberra, alongside state players.

An English side last played against the Prime Minister’s XI in February 2018, with England winning by 60 runs in a one-day game.

England Lions will play a two-day pink ball game against the Prime Minister’s XI on Saturday and Sunday this week.

The opportunity to send members of Brendon McCullum’s England squad to play for the Lions was turned down, as it wasn’t known at the time that the first Ashes Test in Perth would finish three days earlier than scheduled.

While the 12-man squad for the first Test were omitted, pace bowlers Josh Tongue and Matthew Potts, as well as batter Jacob Bethell, will all feature in the match.

It is understood none of the Test squad in Perth asked to play in the game against the Prime Minister’s XI.

This weekend’s match is the fourth under current Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

Under his tenure, the Prime Minister’s XI drew four-day matches with the West Indies in 2022 and Pakistan in 2023.

Last year’s one-day game with India ended in a six-wicket defeat.

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