England Recall Pope, Carse and Lawrence for Pakistan Tests

England have made several changes to their Test squad for the opening matches of the three-Test series against Pakistan, with Ollie Pope, Dan Lawrence and Brydon Carse all returning. Jordan Cox has also been recalled and is set to bat at No. 3 after Jacob Bethell was ruled out of the series because of injury.

The series opener at Headingley on August 19 will mark Joe Root’s first assignment as England’s full-time Test captain. A 16-member squad gives him plenty of choices, although finding the right balance without a specialist all-rounder following Ben Stokes’ retirement will be one of the biggest decisions before naming the playing XI.

Cox Promoted as Pope Returns to the Squad

Shoaib Bashir continues as England’s main spinner, while Lawrence’s return is about more than his position as the second-highest run-scorer in Division One of the County Championship. He has been confirmed to bat at No. 6, and his off-spin could give Root the option of picking four frontline fast bowlers at Headingley.

One of the biggest selection calls is Cox’s promotion to No. 3 after batting at No. 7 on his Test debut at The Oval in June. Pope, who lost his place to Bethell during last winter’s Ashes series, returns to the squad but is expected to begin the series on the bench. His experience adds value to a squad where Root is one of the few senior players.

Bethell’s absence suggests the knee injury he picked up is more serious than first thought. The 22-year-old hurt his right knee during the final ODI against India last month, and scans have since ruled him out of both the Pakistan series and The Hundred.

Carse Returns to Strengthen Pace Attack

Brydon Carse is back in the Test squad for the first time since the Ashes, where he finished as England’s leading wicket-taker in the 4-1 series defeat. He missed the first half of the English summer because of wrist and finger injuries.

Brydon Carse and Sam Cook, who made his only Test appearance against Zimbabwe last summer, are part of a six-man pace attack for the opening two Tests. The group also includes Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Matthew Fisher and Ollie Robinson.

England Await Fleming’s Arrival as Head Coach

The Pakistan series will be England’s first Test assignment since Brendon McCullum stepped away from the red-ball coaching role to concentrate on the white-ball teams. Stephen Fleming has been appointed as his successor but will not officially begin until September, meaning Marcus Trescothick will continue as interim head coach for this series.

It is still unclear how Fleming’s coaching group will look once he takes charge. The current coaches are waiting to learn whether they will stay involved with both formats or move into white-ball roles alongside McCullum.

Hussey Linked with England Batting Coach Role

A report from Australia’s 7News on August 5 claimed that Fleming has informally contacted former Australia batter Mike Hussey about taking over as England’s new Test batting coach.

Hussey, who was a key member of Australia’s middle order during his playing career, is currently working with Welsh Fire in The Hundred. He also spent a brief period as a consultant with England’s men’s team during their successful T20 World Cup campaign in 2022.

With a new captain at the helm, an interim coach, and a reshuffled batting order, this series is going to be a fascinating trial by fire for England as they try to navigate life without Ben Stokes.

The three-match series will begin in Leeds before moving to Lord’s for the second Test from August 27. The final Test is scheduled to take place at Edgbaston from September 9. England head into the series in seventh place in the World Test Championship standings, while Pakistan sit eighth after drawing their recent Test series against the West Indies.

England Test Squad for Pakistan Series

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.

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