England Announces Test Squad for Pakistan Series Under Joe Root's Captaincy

England have announced their first Test squad of Joe Root’s second captaincy tenure, with several notable omissions and inclusions among the 15-player group. With the first Test of the series against Pakistan less than two weeks away, provided some answers over what England will look like in a post-Stokes world, although perhaps solid decisions will wait until Stephen Fleming takes up his positions as head coach over the winter. Joe Root (c), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Sam Cook, Jordan Cox, Ben Duckett, Matthew Fisher, Emilio Gay, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue. Lawrence has been recalled to England’s Test squad for the first time in two years, and is carded to bat at No.6, with Jamie Smith returning to No.7. His inclusion provides the first answer in how England will look to balance their side in the post-Stokes world, as the all-rounder in their top six. However, his position in the XI means England will lack a seam-bowling all-rounder – the age-old problem they’ve faced whenever Stokes hasn’t been available. His selection pushes Will Jacks, , and Rehan Ahmed, down the pecking order of spin-bowling all-rounders. Pope’s recall is the most eye-catching news from the squad. and replaced at No.3 by Jacob Bethell, the road back into the Test team looked difficult in the immediate future. While he had a good start to the County Championship in the spring, he hasn’t ripped up the run-scoring charts in the way Lawrence has. However, the injury to Bethell, which will see him miss the whole series, has opened a door. While Pope isn’t a direct replacement for Bethell, with Jordan Cox set to bat at No.3, he replaces Cox as the spare batter and keeper in the group, overtaking James Rew in that particular pecking order. Having been left out of Test squads since making his debut against Zimbabwe last year, Cook makes up a pool of seven seamers England have selected for the series. They are likely to field four specialist seamers, . While he likely doesn’t fit into the first-choice of that group, his inclusion ahead of Sonny Baker signals a move away from the all-out pace strategy that was implemented during the Stokes-McCullum era. Robinson was recalled for England’s Test series against New Zealand, and made an instant mark with a scintillating spell at Lord’s. However, , and caused friction over his fitness with team management, returned for the following match at The Oval. He wasn’t included in England’s XI for the third Test despite being passed fit. His inclusion in Root’s first Test squad is another lifeline, from the captain who first brought him into the fold. Cox is the sole survivor of the three debutants from The Oval Test match, . While Cox only made scores of 27 and 25 in the hammering at The Oval, there was enough there to warrant a second look. The injury to Bethell means that he will get a run up the order to bat at three, a more similar role to the one he fills for Essex after dropping down to No.7 on Test debut. The only possible detractor for Cox is Pope’s inclusion in the side. Even though Cox will likely be given the full series, a former England Test No.3 will be waiting in the wings if England do decide they need a replacement. Rew is the most obvious one to miss out from the squad announcement. While he was left out of the Trent Bridge Test , Pope’s elevation above him as Smith’s back-up will be a blow. As a player who came in off the back of repeated calls for his elevation, and with an avalanche of domestic runs under his belt, it will be a disappointment to end his summer further away than he started having made his England debut. The extent to which Sam Curran was ever in is slightly dampened by the niggle he’s picked up in The Hundred, which has hampered his ability to bowl. Nevertheless, in the search for a Stokes replacement, Curran is one of the few on the county circuit who could fit in a similar balancing position in the side. Missing the series might work in Curran’s favour, however. When the big decisions are made upon Fleming’s arrival, there may be fewer black marks against Curran’s name than if he were included in a tentative first squad. None of Baker’s England debuts across formats have gone to plan. , and hasn’t played in either format since. On Test debut at The Oval, his figures across both innings read 3-161, and returned the most expensive economy rate for a debutant England seamer who bowled at least 200 deliveries in his first innings. Having been on the fast-track for the last 18 months, Baker now looks set for a stint on the sidelines. Ahmed was named in the first Test squad of the summer amid uncertainty over how England would look to address their post-Ashes spin role. However, Stokes and McCullum plumped for Bashir, and decided to go in without a specialist spinner or spin-bowling all-rounder when Stokes was absent at The Oval. The inclusion of Lawrence will be a particular blow for Ahmed, who continued his run of form with the bat with a century in the early rounds of the County Championship before he was pulled out for England duty. The wait for will continue for another summer. Although Bashir has been named in this Test squad, it’s hard not to come away with the impression that he is the player set to lose the most from Stokes’ retirement. Not only has he lost the captain who got more out of him than any other, his position in the side is always the one in most jeopardy when Stokes is absent. As it is, he looks likely to lose his position with the inclusion of Lawrence, with England set to use him as a way to field a four-man pace attack. That will leave no room for Bashir, and more questions over how young English spinners are managed in the early stages of their careers.