Six NSW players have been named in the Australian squad for the upcoming Blind Ashes Series, taking place in Queensland from November 17-26, 2024.

The Series will comprise of three ODIs and five T20Is at various cricket venues around the Gold Coast. In the multiformat series, three points are awarded for a victory and one point for a draw or tie. 

Captain Matthew McCarthy and vice-captain Ned Brewer-Maiga will lead the 17-player squad, including the uncapped trio of Arron Lyall, Lincoln Muddle and Chris Gould. 

Elevated from his previous role of Assistant Coach, Daniel Drew has been announced as the newly appointed Head Coach of the team and will be joined by Trent Keep as Assistant.  

The Series will be the first in eight years with Australia last taking on England in a Blind Ashes Series in 2016 where England prevailed. The 2020 series was missed due to Covid.  

In a significant milestone, it will mark the 20th anniversary of the Blind Ashes which was first played in England in 2004. 

The Blind Ashes is part of Australian Cricket’s commitment and vision to be a sport for all and will start the first of three Ashes Series played in Australia over the course of the next fourteen months; the CommBank Women’s Ashes Series will take place in January 2025 before the NRMA Insurance Men’s Ashes series at the end of next year. 

Cricket Australia CEO, Nick Hockley, said:  

“We are incredibly proud to announce Australia’s squad for the upcoming Blind Ashes Series and welcome the return of this prestigious series after eight years.  

“The Blind Ashes for blind and low vision cricketers is testament to the ongoing commitment of Australian Cricket to be a sport for all, it also marks 20 years since the first Blind Ashes and is the start of a monumental fourteen months of Ashes cricket in Australia.

“Our thanks go to CommBank for their ongoing support to promote inclusion and diversity through cricket and ensuring opportunities for cricketers of all abilities to thrive.” 

CommBank is a proud partner of Cricket Australia’s ‘A Sport for All’ Program, which champions inclusion and diversity in cricket. CommBank supports the Australian Blind team through funding which helps to develop pathway opportunities for cricketers with a disability to play and compete from grassroots levels through to elite level. 

Australia’s Blind Ashes squad: 

Matthew McCarthy (c) – (QLD) 
Ned Brewer-Maiga (vc) – (VIC) 
Arron Lyall * – (SA) 
Bradley Brider – (SA) 
Chris Gould * – (QLD) 
Lincoln Muddle * – (NSW) 
Matthew Cameron – (NSW)
Michael Berg – (WA) 
Michael Zannis – (SA) 
Oscar Stubbs – (NSW)
Reuben Fairbank – (SA) 
Ryan Honschooten – (WA)
Sean Kendrick – (QLD)
Shaun Fitzpatrick – (NSW)
Steffan Nero – (NSW)
Stephen Palmer – (NSW)
Steve Obeid – (VIC) 

*denotes debut selection 

Head Coach: Daniel Drew
Assistant Coach: Trent Keep
Team Manager: Darren Kendrick