ENG Vs SL: England Announce Playing XI For 1st Test; Potts, Lawrence Make Comeback

England have named Matthew Potts in their playing XI for the first Test against visiting Sri Lanka at Old Trafford, Manchester starting Wednesday, August 21. The 25-year-old pacer comes in place of injured skipper Ben Stokes. (More Cricket News)

The Durham pacer's return means that England will have a four-prong pace attack with Mark Wood, Chris Woakes and Gus Atkinson also in the line-up. Shoaib Bashir is the sole specialist spinner in the XI.

Potts, 25, last played a Test match in June 2023, against Ireland. In six Tests, the right-arm pacer has taken 23 wickets at an average of 29.26.

Lawrence Also Makes A Comeback

Another player who's making a Test return is Dan Lawrence. The 27-year-old batter from Essex replaces injured opener Zak Crawley. Lawrence's last Test outing was against the West Indies in March 2022, and this will be his first game for England under the Brendon McCullum regime.

Crawley broke his little finger on his right hand while going for a catch in the cordon on the final day of the third Test match against the Windies last month.

Stokes, who tore his left hamstring while playing in The Hundred, and Crawley have already been ruled out of the three-match Sri Lanka series. After the Old Trafford opener, the two teams will head to London for the second and third matches at Lord's and Oval, respectively.

New Captain

In Stokes' absence, Ollie Pope will lead the side. The 26-year-old Surrey man will become England's 82nd captain in men's Test cricket. Harry Brook has been promoted to vice-captain.

An England captain has not missed a Test due to injury since Michael Vaughan in 2007. And the last time the Three Lions needed a stand-in skipper was in 2020 when Stokes filled in for Joe Root on paternity leave.

England playing XI for the first Test against Sri Lanka: Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope (c), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith, Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Matthew Potts, Mark Wood, Shoaib Bashir.

England Squad: Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Jordan Cox, Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes, and Mark Wood.

ICC World Test Championship Standings

The series is part of the ongoing ICC World Test Championship 2023-25. England are currently ranked seventh in the nine-team table with 36.54 PCT from 13 matches (six wins, six losses and one draw). Sri Lanka, having played only four Test matches, are fourth with 50.00. They have two wins and two defeats.

India, the two-time finalists, lead the table with 68.52 PCT (nine matches, six wins and two defeats). Australia are second with 62.50 PCT from 12 matches (eight wins and three defeats). The top two teams will qualify for the next year's final.

Sri Lanka, on the other hand, will be led by Dhananjaya de Silva, with Kusal Mendis as his deputy. The visitors have drafted uncapped Milan Rathnayake and Nisala Tharaka in the squad.

Sri Lanka Squad: Dhananjaya de Silva (c), Dimuth Karunaratne, Nishan Madushka, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (vc), Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Kamindu Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Asitha Fernando, Vishwa Fernando, Kasun Rajitha, Lahiru Kumara, Nisala Tharaka, Prabath Jayasuriya, Ramesh Mendis, Jeffrey Vandersay, and Milan Rathnayake.