England Name 12-Man Squad for First Test Against New Zealand at Lord’s

Bashir and Baker recalled

England named a 12-man squad for the first Test against New Zealand at Lord’s, with Shoaib Bashir returning after being overlooked for the entire Ashes series and with uncapped fast bowler Sonny Baker also included. The first Test is scheduled to begin at Lord’s on Thursday, and England’s squad lists Ben Stokes (captain), Gus Atkinson, Sonny Baker, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Ben Duckett, Emilio Gay, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, and Josh Tongue. Bashir last played for England at Lord’s in the third Test against India last July, when he took the final wicket to win despite having broken a finger, and England said his absence in Australia was because the conditions were not conducive to spin bowling.

England also made room for Emilio Gay as opener, with the BBC saying he will replace Zak Crawley, and it noted that England are pondering the make-up of their pace attack as they decide on the final XI. In the squad context, the BBC quoted Brendon McCullum saying, "We firmly believe in Bash as an international cricketer," as England backed Bashir as their first-choice spinner for the series opener.

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McCullum on conditions

England’s selection debate is being framed around conditions at Lord’s, with McCullum telling the BBC that the team wants the ability to pivot if the weather and pitch differ from what they anticipate.

The BBC reported that the weather forecast is for rain for much of the Test and that there is “a little bit of jeopardy around the conditions and the forecast over the next 48 hours,” as England weigh whether grass and pace will favor Baker.

McCullum also linked Bashir’s earlier omission to the conditions in Australia, saying, "we just felt the conditions were not conducive to spin bowling - as did Australia," while the BBC said England remained “hugely confident and optimistic” about Bashir’s role.

On Baker’s potential, the BBC quoted McCullum saying, "Sonny Baker is quick. I think he's going be a cricketer the country really gets behind when he does play."

The BBC further said England will hand a Test debut to Emilio Gay in place of Zak Crawley, and it added that Jacob Bethell has been passed fit after a finger injury and will bat at number three in a home Test for the first time.

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Series start and squad stakes

Beyond the opener, the Reuters feed carried by Devdiscourse said England are playing their first test series since losing the Ashes 4-1 to Australia and that the three-match series against New Zealand continues with matches at The Oval and Trent Bridge to follow later this month. The same Reuters-based report said Zak Crawley was dropped following his poor performance during the Ashes and that Jofra Archer was left out after featuring in the recent Indian Premier League, while it also said Rehan Ahmed has been dropped. The New York Times reported that Emilio Gay will make his first Test appearance on Thursday at the top of the England order and that he may be joined by Sonny Baker, as England consider whether to include the Hampshire fast bowler in the final XI based on conditions.

In the New York Times account, Shoaib Bashir is described as the sole specialist spinner in the 12-man squad and as someone who “did not feature at all over the 4-1 defeat in the Ashes,” while it quoted McCullum saying, "We firmly believe in Bash as an international cricketer." With England’s XI still subject to conditions, the BBC said captain Ben Stokes will swap places in the batting order with wicketkeeper Jamie Smith, with Smith moving up to number six and Stokes dropping to number seven, as England prepare to start the series at Lord’s.

Reporting for this sectionDevdiscourseThe New York Times