2 hours ago
Joe Root will skipper England successful adjacent week’s 2nd Test against New Zealand aft Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson were near retired of nan squad for breaking nan squad curfew arsenic they celebrated triumph successful nan first crippled of nan bid connected Sunday night.
Stokes, nan team’s full-time captain, is being fixed immoderate clip to see his early aft he contributed to nan resurfacing of nan statement astir what is wide perceived arsenic an unprofessional civilization wrong nan group. He is reported to person spent Wednesday successful meetings pinch his supplier and advisers. Atkinson will besides miss nan game, which is being played astatine nan Oval, nan Surrey seamer’s location ground.
“The England & Wales Cricket Board tin corroborate that, fixed nan ongoing investigation, Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson person not been made disposable for action for nan 2nd Test against New Zealand,” a connection read. “Yorkshire batter Joe Root will lead nan squad arsenic interim captain.”
The absence of Stokes and Atkinson, mixed pinch nan manus wounded sustained by Brydon Carse during a training convention successful April that intends nan 30-year-old has not played since nan extremity of nan Ashes successful January, intends England will beryllium without 3 of their 4 leading wicket-takers complete nan past 2 years.
As a consequence they are very apt to bring 2 seamers into their squad adjacent week, apt to beryllium Sonny Baker – who was adjacent to being fixed a Test debut successful nan opening crippled of nan bid – and Jofra Archer, who returns to nan squad aft his efforts for Rajasthan Royals successful nan Indian Premier League pinch a short break successful Barbados. Surrey’s Matthew Fisher is besides successful nan squad.
The dilemma facing Brendon McCullum, nan England coach, will beryllium whether to besides bolster nan batting, which would mean leaving retired Shoaib Bashir. Bashir played astatine Lord’s but was not required to bowl, and successful his only erstwhile Test outing astatine nan Oval, against Sri Lanka successful 2024, took 1 wicket for 65.
England 2nd Test squad
ShowJoe Root (Yorkshire) - Captain; Rehan Ahmed (Leicestershire); Jofra Archer (Sussex); Sonny Baker (Hampshire); Shoaib Bashir (Derbyshire); Jacob Bethell (Warwickshire); Harry Brook (Yorkshire); Jordan Cox (Essex); Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire); Matthew Fisher (Surrey); Emilio Gay (Durham);
James Rew (Somerset); Ollie Robinson (Sussex); Jamie Smith (Surrey); Josh Tongue (Nottinghamshire)
While that would time off nan squad without a frontline spinner some Root and Jacob Bethell could lend if required. If that is his prime Somerset’s James Rew is apt to travel into nan squad to make his debut, having been nan spare batter successful nan squad for nan opening of nan series, while Jordan Cox of Essex has been added to nan group.
