England announces squad for Zimbabwe Test Match, Ben Stokes makes a comeback after a hamstring injury
Skipper Ben Stokes has been confirmed to take charge of the red-ball lineup, having made his recovery from a left hamstring tear injury.
ANI
May 02, 2025 18:13 IST
New Delhi [India] May 2 (ANI): England have named their Test squad for the upcoming one-off match against Zimbabwe later this month, according to the ICC official website.
Skipper Ben Stokes has been confirmed to take charge of the red-ball lineup, having made his recovery from a left hamstring tear injury.
Stokes last played during the three-match series against New Zealand as part of the 2023-25 ICC World Test Championship cycle.
Two uncapped Test cricketers, Sam Cook and Jordan Cox, who both represent Essex in the County Championship, are among other notable inclusions in the 13-member squad.
Right-arm pacer Sam Cook has been rewarded for his consistent performances at the domestic level. He has fetched 318 first-class wickets, averaging an impressive 19.77.
Cook also stood out with the ball for the England Lions on their tour of Australia earlier this year, snapping 13 wickets from three matches.
Twenty-four-year-old Jordan Cox, on the other hand, has been among the top run-scorers at the County Championship this season, amassing 918 runs from 11 matches that include four centuries and two half-centuries.
Also making a return in the Test setup is wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith, who had opted out of England's tour of New Zealand for the birth of his first child.
Pacer Josh Tongue is also set for a return to the red-ball setup, having last featured in the Ashes Down Under in 2023.
England are gearing up for a much-anticipated home summer on the back of a dismal ICC Champions Trophy 2025 campaign that saw white-ball skipper Jos Buttler step down from his role.
Harry Brook has since taken over as his successor in ODI and T20I.
Ben Stokes and co. will kickstart the home summer with the one-off Test at Trent Bridge starting May 22. Later, they will square off against India in a five-match series starting in June that will mark the beginning of the next ICC World Test Championship cycle.
Meanwhile, the white-ball team will play against the West Indies, South Africa, and Ireland throughout the English summer.
England squad: Ben Stokes (captain), Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Sam Cook, Jordan Cox, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue. (ANI)
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