England Test squad vs Pakistan - Lawrence recalled, Cox to bat at No. 3

Dan Lawrence has been recalled after two years and will bat at No. 6, rewarded for a strong start to the County Championship season. His offspin is likely to see him occupy the allrounder spot vacated by Ben Stokes’ international retirement, with Rehan Ahmed overlooked.

Both Cox and Lawrence are part of a 16-man squad announced on Thursday morning for the first two Tests of the three-match series. Ollie Pope is back in the fray as the spare wicketkeeper-batter after being dropped midway through last winter’s Ashes. Brydon Carse also makes a comeback after wrist and elbow injuries rule him out of the start of the domestic summer.

Seamer Sam Cook also returns after a one-off appearance against Zimbabwe last summer. Meanwhile, Ollie Robinson, not involved for the final two New Zealand Tests after a sensational return in the first Test at Lord’s with seven wickets, also features.

England’s new head coach Stephen Fleming was involved in the selection process, along with Marcus Trescothick, who will oversee the series before Fleming takes over at the end of the summer.

It is also the first squad Joe Root will oversee since returning as Test captain as Stokes’ successor. His first outing since returning to the role he vacated in 2022 on a full-time basis will be at his home ground, Headingley, where the first Test begins on August 19.

England had initially hoped Bethell would be fit for this series after missing the Hundred following a knee issue that emerged during the ODI series with India. However, with the left-hander requiring more time on the sidelines, Cox has been given the opportunity to bat at first-drop, having made his Test debut batting at No. 7 earlier this summer in the second New Zealand Test at The Oval.

It sees Cox come full circle with Bethell. In 2024, Cox was due to keep wicket for a tour of New Zealand when Jamie Smith had taken paternity leave, only to break his finger in the nets on the eve of the first Test. That allowed Bethell to come in for his debut, at No. 3, eventually making that position his own over the winter. Cox has only batted at No. 3 in one first-class match, though has previously opened in 30 innings for Kent.

Lawrence, meanwhile, has come back from the wilderness after moonlighting as an opener in the last three of his 14 Test caps, against Sri Lanka in the 2024 season. He is the second-highest run-scorer in Division One of the County Championship this season, with 788 at an average of 65.66, alongside a strike rate of 80.40.

His five first-class centuries are the most by any player this season, and his offering of fingerspin will allow England to play an extra pace bowler. Shoaib Bashir remains the frontline spin option in the squad.

Sam Curran was also considered for a recall in Stokes’ absence, but was not deemed physically ready for a return to Test cricket after an injury-hit summer. James Rew and Sonny Baker, who both made debuts at The Oval in June, were been overlooked.

“We have selected a squad for the first two Tests that balances rising talent with the experience needed against a quality Pakistan team,” said Marcus North, England’s national selector.

“Dan Lawrence returns following an exceptional season so far with Surrey and we believe he has the right level of experience, maturity and skill to complement our middle order.

“Jordan Cox is well regarded as one of the most exciting talents in English cricket and will have the opportunity to bat at [No.] 3 in place of Jacob Bethell, who sadly misses this series through injury.”

England Test series vs Pakistan

England squad: Joe Root (captain), 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.

Pakistan squad: Babar Azam (captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Ali Usman, Azan Awais, Imam ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Rizwan, Muhammad Awais Zafar, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel, Shan Masood. Ubaid Shah.

Fixtures:
1st Test – August 19-23 (Headingley)
2nd Test – August 27-31 (Lord’s)
3rd Test – September 9-13 (Edgbaston)

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