England Announces Squad for Zimbabwe Test

England has revealed a 13-member squad for the upcoming Test match against Zimbabwe, set to take place at Trent Bridge in Nottingham from May 21-25.

This game will be Zimbabwe’s first Test appearance on English grounds since 2003.

Uncapped Players Get the Nod

Essex’s right-arm fast medium bowler, Sam Cook, received his first national team selection, acknowledging his remarkable performance in County Cricket, where he has taken 318 wickets with an average of 19.77.

The 27-year-old also made a strong impression during the England Lions tour of Australia, securing 13 wickets across three matches against Australia A.

Jordan Cox, another uncapped player, joins the squad. He was initially slated to debut against New Zealand in November 2024 but was sidelined due to a fractured thumb he sustained during practice.

Cox, a wicketkeeper-batsman with significant potential, will enhance the team’s options behind the stumps alongside Jamie Smith.

Josh Tongue is also making a return to the national side for the first time since the 2023 Ashes Test at Lord’s, following a strong showing of 14 wickets in the current County Championship season.

Batting Lineup Remains Consistent

The batting lineup largely mirrors that of England’s recent Test series against New Zealand. Zak Crawley retains his position, despite recent struggles, having not scored a half-century in his last five Test innings.

England Squad: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Jordan Cox (wk), Sam Cook, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Matthew Potts, Josh Tongue.