Pennington & Smith earn first England Test call-ups

Nottinghamshire accelerated bowler Dillon Pennington and Surrey wicketkeeper Jamie Smith person earned their first Test call-ups arsenic portion of England's squad to play West Indies adjacent month.

Uncapped Surrey accelerated bowler Gus Atkinson, who was connected nan Test circuit of India earlier this twelvemonth but did not play, is besides included.

Shoaib Bashir has been picked arsenic England's spinner alternatively of Somerset team-mate Jack Leach.

All-rounder Chris Woakes is included successful a Test squad for nan first clip since past summer's Ashes.

The first Test originates connected 10 July astatine Lord's and will beryllium James Anderson's last Test earlier his world retirement.

This squad, minus Anderson, besides covers nan 2nd Test astatine Trent Bridge from 18 July.

The 3rd Test astatine Edgbaston starts connected 26 July.

Durham's Matthew Potts is nan different gait bowler picked, meaning location is nary spot for Sussex seamer Ollie Robinson.

Mark Wood has besides been near out, though he has been portion of nan England T20 World Cup squad successful nan Caribbean.

As expected, Ben Foakes and Jonny Bairstow person some been overlooked successful favour of highly rated 23-year-old Smith, who played 2 one-day internationals against Ireland past year.

Smith has scored 507 runs astatine an mean of 50.70 successful nan County Championship this year, but only 2 of those matches person been arsenic wicketkeeper, pinch Surrey preferring Foakes pinch nan gloves.

Pennington, 25, moved to Nottinghamshire from Worcestershire anterior to this play and has taken 29 wickets successful 7 matches this campaign.

Bashir's action suggests he has overtaken Leach arsenic England's first-choice spinner, contempt having to time off their region connected indebtedness for Worcestershire because Leach has been preferred.

Leach, who besides missed nan 2023 Ashes pinch a backmost accent fracture, injured his knee successful nan first Test successful India and was ruled retired of nan remainder of nan tour.

Bashir came successful for nan 2nd Test and took 17 wickets successful 3 matches, including 2 five-wicket hauls.

July

10-14 1st Test, Lord's (11:00 BST)

18-22 2nd Test, Trent Bridge (11:00 BST)

26-30 3rd Test, Edgbaston (11:00 BST)

Stephan Shemilt, main cricket writer

If nan India bid was nan extremity of nan opening of nan Ben Stokes-Brendon McCullum project, past this is decidedly a caller commencement for nan 2nd portion of their tenure, building to - and astir apt ending pinch - nan Ashes down nether successful 2025-26.

James Anderson had already been told it was clip to move on, but nan removal of Bairstow, Foakes, and Leach, 3 regulars during Stokes' clip arsenic captain, is sadistic and decisive.

The emotion was England would beryllium connected nan lookout for a caller keeper but Smith is simply a left-field move, pinch galore reasoning nan conflict would beryllium betwixt Durham's Ollie Robinson and Lancashire's Phil Salt.

The omission of Leach, a cardinal Stokes ally, is much of a surprise, but location are doubts complete his fittingness - he has not played a afloat portion successful a Test for much than a year. He has besides struggled successful Australia earlier and England are intrigued by what Bashir tin offer.

The absorbing constituent of this action is that, successful choosing Smith complete Foakes and Bashir complete Leach, England person chosen 2 men who are understudies astatine their counties to nan men they are replacing successful nan nationalist side.

If we are to presume Mark Wood will return aft a rest, nan different notable absentee is nan seam-bowling Ollie Robinson. It feels for illustration he has plentifulness to do to triumph backmost England's spot aft a hugely disappointing circuit of India.

Those who opportunity nan England set-up is excessively cosy, that they only prime their favourites, tin do truthful nary longer. This is simply a caller and breathtaking squad, a caller section successful nan fascinating Stokes-McCullum story.