England drop batter Dan Lawrence for upcoming Pakistan tour, Ben Stokes returns to lead squad after injury lay-off
Published 10/09/2024 at 19:28 GMT+1
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England have dropped batter Dan Lawrence for their upcoming tour of Pakistan after a middling performance in the 2-1 Test series win over Sri Lanka this week, while captain Ben Stokes returns to lead the squad following an injury lay-off. Two uncapped players, Jordan Cox and Brydon Carse, have also been named in the 17-man squad for the October Test series.
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Video credit: TNT Sports
England have dropped batter Dan Lawrence for their upcoming tour of Pakistan, while Ben Stokes returns to the side following an injury-induced absence.
A 17-man squad has been named for the October Test series, including the uncapped pair of Jordan Cox and Brydon Carse.
Captain Stokes missed the series against Sri Lanka, which England won 2-1 this week, due to a hamstring problem, but will return in Pakistan, as will Ollie Pope, who deputised in his stead.
Lawrence moved to opener against Sri Lanka after usual opening batter Zak Crawley missed the series with a broken finger, but did not capitalise on his opportunity.
He produced a high score of just 35 in six innings, with that coming in the second innings of the final Test, which saw a spectacular collapse by England at The Oval.
It had been Lawrence's first Test cricket in over two years and his first in the unfamiliar opener role. The Surrey player is the only member of the squad against Sri Lanka to be dropped.
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Crawley returns to the squad having recovered sufficiently, while Essex's Cox features again after being named in the squad for the Sri Lanka series but not playing. The 23-year-old will make his T20 international debut against Australia this week.
Carse, a pace bowler for Durham, has featured in 14 one-day internationals and three T20s before, but has not been played in an international red ball match.
The squad also includes Somerset team-mates Jack Leach and Shoaib Bashir - England's former and current first-choice spinners - as well as Rehan Ahmed.
Mark Wood missed out on selection due to an elbow injury which forced him out of the first Test against Sri Lanka. Leicestershire left-armer Josh Hull, who made his debut when called up to replace Wood, has been included in the squad again this time around.
Other absentees include Tom Hartley, who misses out despite featuring in all five Tests on the squad's tour of India earlier this year. Chris Woakes returns for his first Test tour since Brendon McCullum became coach in 2022.
England will be hoping to replicate their historic 3-0 sweep on their last visit to Pakistan in 2022, the first time a visiting team won all three Tests there.
Cox, Bethell set for England t20 debuts
Phil Salt will assume captaincy from the injured Jos Buttler as Jordan Cox and Jacob Bethell are set to make their international debuts when England take on Australia in their first T20 on Wednesday.
Marcus Trescothick - who takes over on an interim basis following the departure of Matthew Mott in the summer - will also hand a T20 debut to Jamie Overton as a specialist batman. The 30-year-old earned his first Test cap against New Zealand in 2022.
Meanwhile, bowler Saqib Mahmood returns to the squad, making his first appearance since March 2023 following a second stress fracture in his back.
Despite his appointment as permanent head coach, Brendon McCullum will not take the white-ball role until next year, and he will be keeping tabs on debutantes Cox and Bethell who have enjoyed promising spells with Essex and Warwickshire respectively.
England's three T20's will be followed by five one-day internationals against Australia, as Harry Brook, Ben Duckett, Jamie Smith, Olly Stone and Matthew Potts all enter the squad off the back of England's 2-1 Test series victory over Sri Lanka.
Buttler has been named as captain for the ODI squad, but could yet miss the series after suffering a setback with his right calf injury.
discovery+ is the home of every international series played in India, including England's tour in 2025.
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