Arabic version: إنجلترا تبدأ جولة بيرث فيما تستمر تساؤلات ورق الصنفرة

According to The Guardian, England return to Perth for a white-ball series beginning with three one-day internationals on Friday, followed by five Twenty20 matches. The opening ODI will be played at Optus Stadium, where England suffered a two-day Ashes defeat 12 months earlier after Travis Head’s match-winning performance.

This time, England’s focus is on preparing a largely inexperienced side for next year’s World Cup and recovering from a poor tri-series campaign in Pakistan. Harry Brook’s team also had a tour match at the Waca, while the coaching group includes Kevin Pietersen and two dog-stick specialists hired from Kolkata Knight Riders.

Joe Root, who is set to play his 200th ODI this week, handled questions in Perth about Usman Khawaja’s autobiography, Sabr, and its renewed attention on the 2018 sandpaper scandal. Asked about the 2017-18 Ashes tour that he captained, Root said: “I don’t want to speculate.” On suggestions that every team had acted similarly before Australia’s punishment in Cape Town, he added: “I can only speak from my own experiences. That’s not how I feel.”

Cricket Australia has ruled out reopening its investigation into the scandal, but the issue remains prominent after Khawaja’s book revived questions about events on that tour. Australia’s Test captain Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood are being rested for the series because of the schedule. Starc has spoken this week in support of the joint statement issued by the bowlers in 2021, while Cummins’s response remains to be seen.