Surrey’s Jamie Smith will keep wicket for England this summer after Jonny Bairstow and Ben Foakes were both omitted from a 14-player squad for the upcoming West Indies series
James Anderson – who has 700 Test wickets, more than any other seamer in history – confirmed in May that the first Test of the English summer at Lord’s would be his last.
The 41-year-old admitted some part of him wishes he was continuing but the England management told him they want to look to the future ahead of next summer’s home series against India and an Ashes tour in 18 months.
While the spotlight will inevitably be on Anderson on July 10 as he looks to go out in style and perhaps even match Shane Warne’s tally of 708 wickets, scrutiny will also be on England’s new wicketkeeper Smith.
Smith has enjoyed a strong start to the summer for County Championship leaders Surrey – averaging more than 50 – and edged out Ben Stokes’ Durham team-mate Ollie Robinson for a place in the squad.
Neither Ben Foakes or Jonny Bairstow, who won his 100th cap in England’s last Test, have been selected while three uncapped players – Surrey pair Smith and Gus Atkinson and Nottinghamshire bowler Dillon Pennington – all got the nod.
Pennington has impressed since joining Notts from Worcestershire, taking 29 Championship wickets at 23.03 this season. Atkinson, meanwhile, was part of England’s squad for the tour of India earlier this year but did not play.
England squad
Ben Stokes (Durham), James Anderson (Lancashire, first Test only), Gus Atkinson (Surrey), Shoaib Bashir (Somerset), Harry Brook (Yorkshire), Zak Crawley (Kent), Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire), Dan Lawrence (Surrey), Dillon Pennington (Nottinghamshire), Ollie Pope (Surrey), Matthew Potts (Durham)
Joe Root (Yorkshire), Jamie Smith (Surrey), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire)
Spinners Jack Leach, Tom Hartley and Rehan Ahmed all travelled to India too but will have to wait for further opportunities, with Shoaib Bashir the only specialist spinner selected in more seam-friendly conditions.
Sussex’s Ollie Robinson, who made a bright start to his Test career before struggling with form and fitness, also misses out just a few days after bowling the most expensive over in County Championship history, Leicestershire’s Louis Kimber taking him for 43.
Warwickshire’s Chris Woakes returns to the Test squad for the first time since being named Player of the Series after last summer’s Ashes.
Discussing England’s squad, which has been picked for the first two Tests of the three-match series against West Indies, Rob Key said: ‘The first Test of the summer is always a special moment, but it will be extra poignant with it being Jimmy’s last Test before he retires.
‘He has given everything to the sport since his Test debut in 2003. We all would like to wish him well as he walks out at Lord’s for the last time for England.
‘We are looking forward to getting the season underway against a strong West Indies side in what will be an excellent Test series.’
After Lord’s hosts the first Test of the summer on July 10, the teams travel to Trent Bridge for the second match and then Edgbaston for the finale at the end of the month.
England’s batting options include opening pair Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Harry Brook and of course Joe Root, who could pass 12,000 Test runs this summer.
Stokes will captain the side and says his recovery has been going ‘really good’ after barely bowling in England’s Test series defeat to India.
The 33-year-old, who chose to miss the recent T20 World Cup to focus on his recovery, has bowled 63.1 overs in his two County Championship appearances for Durham this summer.
‘The recovery is going really good,’ Stokes said. ‘I’m desperate to get back into it now. I’m buzzing to get going and walking back out in an England shirt.’
West Indies stunned Australia at the Gabba in their last Test to secure an encouraging 1-1 draw against Pat Cummins’ side.
England’s white-ball squad have only just returned from the Caribbean, where they reached the T20 World Cup semi-finals before losing to eventual champions India.
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