Joe Root, Ben Stokes and Jimmy Anderson were among the first England players to arrive in Australia on Saturday morning, as preparation for The Ashes ramped up.
The first test, at The Gabba in Brisbane, starts in just over a month’s time with the players required to undertake a Covid-19 quarantine after landing Down Under.
However, they will be allowed to leave their hotel rooms to train in an exemption from the 14-day isolation.
Stuart Broad was also among the squad departing Heathrow on Friday night, with jet lag the first element that must be battled. The bowler, 35, told his Instagram followers that he wanted to “sleep for a week” as he approached his first night in quarantine.
Hello, Australia 👋
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) November 6, 2021
Our first group for the men's Ashes tour have arrived Down Under! 🇦🇺#ENGvAUS #Ashes pic.twitter.com/X3SJ0uu1R8
Travelling with the team are a selection of family members with captain Root’s wife, Carrie, daughter Isabella and son Alfred pictured carrying luggage through the terminal at Brisbane Airport.
England face the England Lions squad in a three-day warm-up match at Redlands on November 23, with a further four-day game scheduled between the two teams in Brisbane on November 30. The reserve squad also formed part of the travelling party on Saturday.
Players competing in the T20 World Cup in the UAE will travel to Australia following the completion of their run in the tournament.
The final group game of their Super 12s campaign takes place at 2pm GMT on Saturday, against South Africa. The final is due to take place on November 14.
