The first Mixed Disability Ashes will feature England and Australia competing for the first time in a new format of international cricket that includes players with disabilities.
Australia’s Men’s Mixed Disability team are preparing for a historic T20 International series against England in 2027, with the first-ever Mixed Disability Ashes to take place.
The historic match will be part of England’s 2027 Ashes summer, alongside the men’s and women’s Ashes series, and will mark the ongoing development of the sport of disability cricket on the international stage.
Historic Ashes series announced
Mixed Disability Ashes is the first time England and Australia will play each other in the mixed disability format.
The official programme and venues have not yet been declared but the series will likely be one of the largest events in disability cricket and will give players the chance to play in one of the sport’s most iconic competitions.
The announcement is another significant milestone towards increasing opportunities for cricketers with disabilities at the highest level.
Disability cricket reaches new heights
The Mixed Disability Ashes comes on the heels of the swift growth of disability cricket over the past few years.
England have already hosted India in mixed disability games and are planning to continue to push the format on through further international matches.
The Ashes series is expected to continue to boost the visibility of disability cricket and promote its involvement globally, according to cricket administrators.
ECB welcomes landmark event
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) called the announcement a “very important day for the future of disability cricket.
ECB Head of Disability Cricket Ian Martin stated that the launch of an Ashes series for mixed disability teams is the next big move in the development of the format.
Players will have a special opportunity to witness one of the greatest rivalries in cricket on the international stage when they play against Australia in an Ashes match, he added.
Cricket Australia embraces new challenge
Cricket Australia was also delighted with the Mixed Disability Ashes launch, describing it as an exciting new chapter for the sport.
The series would give Australian players with disability the opportunity to compete in one of cricket’s most iconic competitions with the men, women and Blind Ashes, Chief of Cricket James Allsopp said.
He also said the games at the National Cricket Inclusion Championships in Ballarat will be a significant factor in the selection of Australia’s squad for the historic series.
New era for inclusive cricket
Mixed Disability Ashes is likely to be one of the biggest events in the international cricket calendar.
The series will be played alongside the traditional Ashes series, ensuring that England and Australia are continuing to champion inclusivity and providing greater opportunities for the top level of disability cricketers to play on the grandest of stages.
The historic series will be a new chapter in the Ashes series and will help to further boost the development of disability cricket around the world.
