LONDON
\nEngland have announced a 16-man squad for the opening two Tests of the three-match home series against Pakistan, with Jordan Cox set to bat at No. 3 after Jacob Bethell was ruled out through a right knee injury.
\nBethell, who had been expected to recover in time for the series, requires a longer rehabilitation period after sustaining the injury during England\u2019s ODI series against India.
\nHis absence opens the door for Cox, who made his Test debut earlier this summer against New Zealand at The Oval, to take up the crucial first-drop position.
\nDan Lawrence has earned a recall to the Test side for the first time in two years after an outstanding County Championship campaign with Surrey.
\nThe 28-year-old is expected to bat at No. 6 and provide off-spin, filling the all-round role left vacant following Ben Stokes\u2019 retirement from international cricket.
\nOllie Pope returns to the squad as the reserve wicketkeeper-batter after being dropped midway through last winter\u2019s Ashes series, while fast bowler Brydon Carse also makes his comeback after recovering from wrist and elbow injuries that sidelined him at the start of the domestic season.
\nSeamer Sam Cook has also been recalled after his solitary Test appearance against Zimbabwe last summer. Ollie Robinson, who claimed seven wickets on his return in the opening Test against New Zealand at Lord\u2019s before missing the final two matches of that series, has retained his place.
\nThe squad marks the first selected under newly appointed England head coach Stephen Fleming, who worked alongside Marcus Trescothick during the selection process.
\nTrescothick will oversee the Pakistan series before Fleming officially takes charge at the end of the English summer.
\nIt will also be Joe Root\u2019s first series since returning as England\u2019s Test captain following Stokes\u2019 retirement. Root begins his second spell as skipper at his home ground of Headingley, where the opening Test starts on August 19.
\nCox\u2019s promotion comes after an unfortunate twist of fate that links him with Bethell. In 2024, Cox was due to make his Test debut in New Zealand as wicketkeeper while Jamie Smith was on paternity leave, only to suffer a broken finger during training on the eve of the first Test.
\nBethell was drafted into the side and seized the No. 3 position with a series of impressive performances.
\nAlthough Cox has batted at No. 3 only once in first-class cricket, he has opened the innings on 30 occasions and is regarded as one of England\u2019s brightest batting prospects.
\nLawrence\u2019s return follows an exceptional domestic campaign. He is the second-highest run-scorer in Division One of the County Championship this season, having amassed 788 runs at an average of 65.66 and a strike rate of 80.40.
\nHis five first-class centuries are the most by any player this season, while his useful off-spin allows England to field an additional pace bowler alongside frontline spinner Shoaib Bashir.
\nSam Curran was also considered for a recall in the absence of Stokes but was deemed not yet physically ready for a return to Test cricket after an injury-disrupted summer.
\nNational selector Marcus North said the squad strikes the right balance between youth and experience.
\n\u201cWe have selected a squad for the first two Tests that balances rising talent with the experience needed against a quality Pakistan team,\u201d North said.
\n\u201cDan 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.
\n\u201cJordan 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.\u201d
\nEngland squad for first two Pakistan Tests: 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 and Josh Tongue.
\nSeries schedule:
\n1st Test: August 19-23 \u2013 Headingley
\n2nd Test: August 27-31 \u2013 Lord\u2019s
\n3rd Test: September 9-13 \u2013 Edgbaston.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
LONDON England have announced a 16-man squad for the opening two Tests of the three-match home series against Pakistan, with Jordan Cox set to bat at No. 3 after Jacob Bethell was ruled out through a right knee injury. Bethell, who had been expected to recover in time for the series, requires a longer rehabilitation […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":560804,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-560797","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports"],"yoast_head":"\n