The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has announced a 13-member squad for the upcoming one-off Test match against Zimbabwe, scheduled to begin on May 22 at Trent Bridge in Nottingham. Among the headline selections is uncapped pacer Sam Cook, who has earned his first call-up to the national side.
Cook’s inclusion had been anticipated, especially after the ECB instructed Essex to rest him from recent county fixtures. The right-arm seamer has consistently impressed at the domestic level, claiming 318 first-class wickets at an outstanding average of under 20. He also performed admirably during the recent England Lions tour of Australia, where he picked up 13 wickets in three matches. With several frontline pacers—Chris Woakes, Mark Wood, Olly Stone, and Brydon Carse—sidelined due to injuries, Cook could be in line to make his Test debut.
Captain Ben Stokes returns to lead the side after recovering from a hamstring injury that required surgery. The all-rounder sustained the injury during England’s tour of New Zealand in December, marking his second such setback in five months. Wicketkeeper-batter Jordan Cox also returns after missing out on a potential debut last year due to a broken finger.
Pacer Josh Tongue makes a comeback to the Test setup for the first time in two years, joining a pace unit that includes Gus Atkinson and Matthew Potts. Meanwhile, Shoaib Bashir has been named as the sole spinner, with Jack Leach left out of the squad.
This Test against Zimbabwe will serve as a key preparation match for England ahead of their highly anticipated home series against India, which features five Tests.
England squad vs Zimbabwe:
Ben Stokes (c), Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Sam Cook, Jordan Cox, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wk), Josh Tongue
For the Latest Sports News: Follow RevSportz