England announce squad for first two Tests against West Indies

Uncapped Jamie Smith is set to take over wicketkeeping duties

PHOTO: AFP

England has announced their squad for the first two Tests of the upcoming three-match series against the West Indies, with Jonny Bairstow notably absent.

Uncapped Jamie Smith is set to take over wicketkeeping duties. Ben Foakes, who is the first-choice wicketkeeper for Surrey, was also left out of the squad, where Smith, 23, often plays as a specialist batsman.

The 14-man squad includes three uncapped players: Smith, along with promising seamers Gus Atkinson and Dillon Pennington, as England prepares for the 2025/26 Ashes series in Australia. Notably, Jack Leach was omitted, leaving Somerset’s Shoaib Bashir as the sole specialist spinner.

Smith, who appeared in two one-day internationals against Ireland last year, fits well with England's aggressive 'Bazball' strategy under coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes. This season, he averages 50 in the County Championship for Surrey and scored an impressive 155 off 179 balls against Warwickshire.

Veteran Chris Woakes has been recalled, marking his first appearance since being named player of the series in the 2023 Ashes against Australia. Despite the recall, injuries have sidelined several rising stars for England. Sussex seamer Ollie Robinson, recently criticized for his fitness and after conceding a record 43 runs in an over to Leicestershire's Louis Kimber, was left out of the squad. Durham's Matthew Potts returns, having taken 23 wickets at an average of under 30 in six Tests since his debut in 2022.

The first Test is set to begin at Lord's on July 10, which will be a significant match as it marks the final Test for England legend James Anderson before his retirement. The squad for the third and final Test, to be played at Edgbaston, will be announced at a later date.

Squad for first two matches: Ben Stokes (C), James Anderson (first test only), Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Joe Root, Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Dillon Pennington, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Jamie Smith (WK), Chris Woakes.