England announce squad for Zimbabwe Test, young prodigy to miss due to IPL
England announce a 13-member squad for the one-off Test against Zimbabwe, which will be played at Trent Bridge. Mark Wood and Chris Woakes will miss the game, owing to their respective injuries while Jacob Bethell has been dropped for the IPL.
England announce a 13-member squad for the one-off Test against Zimbabwe, starting May 22 at Trent Bridge. Captain Ben Stokes was doubtful after the hamstring injury as he was expected to return for the five-match Test series against India. However, the all-rounder recovered well and has been named in the squad.
The uncapped duo of Sam Cook and Jordan Cox also managed to find a place in the squad. They have been called up as England plan to stay ready for the India series and later for the tour to Australia. Last year, the pacers suffered multiple injuries, which have impacted them severely. England don’t want that to happen again, which is a key year for the Ben Stokes-led side.
Notably, Cook’s call-up was predicted a couple of weeks back when Essex rested their premier seamer to play the 27-year-old. Veteran all-rounder Chris Woakes is yet to recover from the injury he suffered in the SA20 and the England team management also doesn’t want to hurry him as he is expected to play a key part in the Ashes, later in the year.
On the other hand, Jacob Bethell has been dropped from the squad as he is currently playing for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL 2025. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) gave the NOC to the youngster to continue in the cash-rich league. He has played three Test matches so far, scoring 260 runs at an average of 52. He is often considered the next big thing in English cricket.
Notably, ace pacer Mark Wood will also miss the Test as he is still recovering from the knee injury. Gus Atkinson and Matthew Potts are likely to start and both will be determined to cement their spot for the India series.
England squad for Zimbabwe Test: Ben Stokes (capt), Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Sam Cook, Jordan Cox, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue