England has announced their 14-man squad for the first two Tests against the West Indies, with uncapped players Dillon Pennington from Nottinghamshire and Jamie Smith from Surrey making the cut. Pennington, a fast bowler, has been in fine form this season, picking up 29 wickets for Nottinghamshire at an average of 23.03 in Division One of the County Championship. Meanwhile, Smith, known for his attacking batting and wicket-keeping skills, has scored an impressive 507 runs in the Championship at an average of 50.70.
With the absence of Ben Foakes and Jonny Bairstow from the squad, Smith is set to make his debut at Lord’s in what promises to be a thrilling series against the West Indies. Notable exclusions from the previous squad include Tom Hartley, Ollie Robinson, Jack Leach, and Mark Wood, while off-spinner Shoaib Bashir retains his place.
Seamer Gus Atkinson, who was part of the squad for the India tour but didn’t feature in any Tests, retains his place in the bowling attack alongside the returning Chris Woakes. The legendary James Anderson has been selected for the first Test only, marking his 188th and final game for England. The veteran fast bowler, who made his Test debut in 2003, has an impressive record of 700 wickets to his name.
Commenting on Anderson’s retirement, the team expressed their gratitude for his contributions to the sport over the years. The upcoming series against the West Indies is expected to be a challenging but thrilling encounter, with the first two Tests scheduled to be held at Lord’s and Trent Bridge.
The squad for the third and final Test at Edgbaston will be confirmed at a later stage. The team for the first two matches includes Ben Stokes (Captain), 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 (Wicket-Keeper), and Chris Woakes. Stay tuned for more updates on this exciting series as England gears up to take on the West Indies in a highly anticipated Test showdown.