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The England Cricket Board (ECB) have announced the England squad for the one-off Test match against Zimbabwe, which is scheduled to take place at Trent Bridge Cricket Ground from May 22 to 25. Skipper Ben Stokes, who was on the road to recovery from a left hamstring tear injury, has been fit to lead the side.
Stokes last played his Test match against New Zealand in a three-Test match series as part of the last World Test Championship Cycle. Apart from Stokes, the ECB added two uncapped players, Sam Cook and Jordan Cox to the squad who represent Essex in the County Championship.
Right-arm pacer Sam Cook has been rewarded for his consistent performances at the domestic level. He has scored 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.
On the other hand, Jordan Cox is 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.
Wicketkeeper batter Jamie Smith is also making a return in the Test setup. Earlier, he opted out of England's tour of New Zealand for the birth of his first child.
Speedster Josh Tongue is also set for a return to the red-ball setup, having last featured in the Ashes Down Under in 2023. England will be eager for a good start after a dismal performance in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. After the one-off Test against Zimbabwe, England will feature against India for the five-Test match series scheduled to start from June 20.
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.
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