Regular captain Ben Stokes and opener Zak Crawley have been named in the 17-member Test squad that England have picked for their upcoming Pakistan tour in October. Stokes and Crawley had both missed the recently concluded Sri Lanka Test series due to injuries and are still recovering, but have been named in the squad. (More Cricket News)
Middle-order batter Dan Lawrence, who played against Sri Lanka in Crawley's absence, has been dropped from the squad.
Crawley, who has not played any Test cricket since July, "is making significant progress in his recovery to earn selection", the England and Wales Cricket Board stated in a media release. Stokes, meanwhile, continues to recover from the hamstring tear he suffered while playing in The Hundred this year.
Further, the squad includes two uncapped players in the form of Brydon Carse and Jordan Cox for the tour. Carse, who made his England debut in an ODI in 2021, recently served a 16-month ban for placing a total of 303 bets on cricket matches and the suspension ended only on August 28.
Carse marked his return to action on August 29 with a century against Somerset at Taunton. His inclusion adds another genuine fast-bowling option to England's ranks, alongside Gus Atkinson and Olly Stone, who will also make the trip.
The spin attack has been bolstered by the inclusion of leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed, and left-arm veteran Jack Leach who has been missing in action since the India tour in January 2024. Josh Hull, who made his debut in the final Test against Sri Lanka, retains his spot in the squad with Mark Wood not available.
This will be England's first tour of Pakistan since 2022, when they had swept the series 3-0 there. Eight members of that winning squad are part of this team.
The venues for the three-match series are yet to be confirmed, with an announcement expected from the Pakistan Cricket Board later this week.
England Squad For Pakistan Test Tour
Ben Stokes (C), Rehan Ahmed, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Jordan Cox, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Josh Hull, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes.
