PERTH: England elected to bat first against Australia in the Ashes series opener on Friday after captain Ben Stokes won the toss under clear blue skies at Perth Stadium.

After naming a 12-man squad for the match, the visitors opted for all-out pace in the starting side, leaving out off-spinner Shoaib Bashir in favour of Brydon Carse.

“We’ll try and get some runs on the board and then see where we are then,” Stokes said. “We’ve got to clear all of what we want to achieve out here in Australia, it starts today.”

Australia’s Steve Smith, standing in as captain for the injured Pat Cummins, struck an optimistic tone after losing the toss.

“Hopefully it seams all over the place this morning. I think the cracks will come into play, they seem to every year,” said Smith. “I think if we get the ball in the right areas this morning, there’ll be enough there for sure.”

Australia awarded first test caps to specialist opener Jake Weatherald and fast bowler Brendan Doggett, who put his hand up for selection with 13 wickets in two matches for South Australia in a dynamic start to the domestic Sheffield Shield season.

“He sort of glides through the crease, makes it look pretty easy,” pace spearhead Mitchell Starc said of Doggett.

“So, yeah, he’s got some air speed, he’s got some great skills, some swing, some seam and he’s coming off a hot streak, so hopefully that continues this week.”

Australia: Usman Khawaja, Jake Weatherald, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland, Brendan Doggett

England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes, Jamie Smith, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Mark Wood

Baylor on Thursday announced the departure of athletic director Mack Rhoades, effective immediately.

Rhoades, who had been the AD at Baylor since July 2016, suddenly took a leave of absence from the position for personal reasons last week. He told ESPN’s Heather Dinich at the time that he initiated the leave.

“I find myself in a season of life where I need to prioritize my faith and my family with an intentional focus that requires me to move on from my role as caretaker of this great athletics program,” Rhoades said in a statement on Thursday night.

Along with stepping away from Baylor, Rhoades also left his role as chair of the College Football Playoff selection committee.

In a letter to the university announcing the move, Baylor president Linda Livingstone did not give a reason for his departure.

“Since joining Baylor in 2016, Mack has led our athletics program through a period of remarkable rebuilding and achievement,” Livingstone said. “During his tenure, Baylor claimed numerous Big 12 championships, made countless postseason appearances and earned national titles in several sports, including historic wins that will forever be etched in our collective memory. These victories were not just about athletic excellence — they were moments that brought the Baylor Family together, united in joy and spirit.”

Livingstone also commended Rhoades’ influence “beyond the scoreboard,” adding: “Within the Big 12 Conference and across the country, he is widely recognized as a defender of the important role athletics plays on college and university campuses.”

Rhoades is a veteran in the athletic director space, with prior stops as the AD at Missouri, Houston and Akron. His tenure includes the hiring of Matt Rhule and eight national titles, including one for Scott Drew’s men’s basketball program.

The ability to retain Drew and build the proper infrastructure and support around him has been a hallmark of Rhoades’ tenure.

“The incredible community that is the Baylor family is the absolute best of the best,” Rhoades said in his statement. “Together, we won national championships, established records in academics and fundraising, and built world-class facilities. I will forever cherish the memories and friendships I made as a Baylor Bear.”

Rhoades’ tenure included stabilizing the athletic department on the field after the tumultuous and litigious tenure of former football coach Art Briles. The hiring of Rhule pulled the program out of the depths, and current coach Dave Aranda went on to win the Big 12 title in 2021 and beat Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl that year.

Rhoades’ predecessors as athletic director, Ian McCaw and Tom Stanton, left amid issues surrounding Briles and former basketball coach Dave Bliss, respectively.