Sports
Matthew Henry
Nottinghamshire fast bowler Dillon Pennington and Surrey wicketkeeper Jamie Smith have earned their first Test call-ups as part of England’s squad to play West Indies next month.
Uncapped Surrey fast bowler Gus Atkinson, who was on the Test tour of India earlier this year but did not play, is also included.
Shoaib Bashir has been picked as England’s spinner instead of Somerset team-mate Jack Leach.
All-rounder Chris Woakes is included in a Test squad for the first time since last summer’s Ashes.
The first Test begins on 10 July at Lord’s and will be James Anderson’s final Test before his international retirement.
This squad, minus Anderson, also covers the second Test at Trent Bridge from 18 July.
The third Test at Edgbaston starts on 26 July.
England squad for first two Tests: Ben Stokes (Durham, capt), James Anderson (Lancashire – first Test only), Gus Atkinson (Surrey), Shoaib Bashir (Somerset), Harry Brook (Yorkshire), Zak Crawley (Kent), Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire), Dan Lawrence (Surrey), Dillon Pennington (Nottinghamshire), Ollie Pope (Surrey), Matthew Potts (Durham), Joe Root (Yorkshire), Jamie Smith (Surrey, wk), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire)
Durham’s Matthew Potts is the other pace bowler picked, meaning there is no place for Sussex seamer Ollie Robinson.
Mark Wood has also been left out, although he has been part of the England T20 World Cup squad in the Caribbean.
As expected, Ben Foakes and Jonny Bairstow have both been overlooked in favour of highly rated 23-year-old Smith, who played two one-day internationals against Ireland last year.
Smith has scored 507 runs at an average of 50.70 in the County Championship this year, but only two of those matches have been as wicketkeeper, with Surrey preferring Foakes with the gloves.
Pennington, 25, moved to Nottinghamshire from Worcestershire prior to this season and has taken 29 wickets in seven matches this campaign.
Bashir’s selection suggests he has overtaken Leach as England’s first-choice spinner, despite having to leave their county on loan for Worcestershire because Leach has been preferred.
Leach, who also missed the 2023 Ashes with a back stress fracture, injured his knee in the first Test in India and was ruled out of the remainder of the tour.
Bashir came in for the second Test and took 17 wickets in three matches, including two five-wicket hauls. (BBC Sports)
F.A
June 30, 2024
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