Former England captain Michael Vaughan has voiced strong disapproval of a 43% increase in ticket prices for next year's men's Ashes Test at Edgbaston.
The Birmingham venue is scheduled to host the third Test of the five-match series between England and Australia in the summer of 2025. Ticket prices for the Hollies Stand, which can accommodate nearly 6,000 spectators, are set to rise to £165, an increase from £115 in 2023. For club members, tickets will be available for £92, while the cheapest adult tickets for the first three days of the match will cost £115, with an additional £2.50 booking fee applied to every ticket.
"This is really poor," Vaughan stated on social media in response to the price adjustments.
Following the 2023 Ashes series, which concluded in a 2-2 draw, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) reported that "every day sold out in advance, with total attendance topping 545,000".
Despite a reduced capacity at Warwickshire's Edgbaston stadium due to the ongoing construction of an on-site hotel, tickets for an upcoming Test match between England and Pakistan, priced between £57.50 and £87.50 for adults, have not yet sold out.
Looking ahead, the ticket ballot for the 2027 Ashes has opened, with prices at Lord's and The Oval in London being higher, with top-tier tickets priced at £190 and £185 respectively.
England's campaign to reclaim the Ashes, following a 4-1 series defeat in Australia last winter, is set to begin at Trent Bridge in Nottingham on June 18, 2025. The second Ashes Test will take place at Lord's starting June 30, with the Edgbaston fixture commencing on July 8.
The series will continue at the Utilita Bowl in Southampton, marking it as the 10th UK ground to host a men's Ashes Test, with the fourth match beginning on July 21. The series will conclude at the Kia Oval in London, with matches scheduled from July 29.
BBC Sport has reached out to the ECB and the five designated Test venues for comment on the ticket price increases.