Home
The England Cricket Board (ECB) has announced England's playing XI for the one-off Test against Zimbabwe, which is scheduled to take place from May 22 to 25 at Trent Bridge Cricket Ground. The upcoming one-off Test against Zimbabwe will be England's last red-ball assignment before the five-Test match series against India.
Ben Stokes-led side has added Essex seamer Sam Cook, who will make his Test debut and his fellow speedster Josh Tongue has been recalled to the side after nearly two years. Tongue last played Test cricket in June 2023, against Australia at Lord's. The middle order batter is made up of Joe Root, Harry Brook and skipper Ben Stokes, with Jamie Smith slotting in as the wicketkeeper at No.7 following a breakout first season of Test cricket in the back half of 2024.
Cook has been rewarded for taking 321 first-class wickets in 89 games at an average of 19.85, including 10 in the County Championship so far this year. Cook, 27, is preferred in the XI to Matthew Potts and will form a pace attack with Gus Atkinson, Josh Tongue and fit-again captain Ben Stokes, who has recovered from a hamstring injury sustained in New Zealand in December.
The 21-year-old Shoaib Bashir remains England's first-choice spinner and will feature in the upcoming Test against Zimbabwe. The two players to miss out are keeper James Rew and pacer Matthew Potts. Rew had only been called up to the squad after Jordan Cox had to withdraw with injury.
England playing XI for one-off Test v Zimbabwe: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Gus Atkinson, Josh Tongue, Sam Cook, Shoaib Bashir
ADVERTISEMENT
