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Coach Brendon McCullum has confirmed that Essex bowler Sam Cook will start for England against Zimbabwe this week.
With Gus Atkinson, Josh Tongue, and spinner Shoaib Bashir in his place, the 27-year-old will form a novice bowling attack. He has been prolific in county cricket recently.
The 13-man squad’s two members, including Durham bowler Matthew Potts and Somerset batter James Rew, are the ones who were left out.
As anticipated, Zak Crawley will start as opener, but Ollie Pope will start at number three in the middle order, with Jamie Smith taking a wicketkeeper break.
In recent selections, England have frequently preferred pace or variation in height or angle, but Cook is a more traditional, skilled seam bowler, which was a reward for his outstanding County Championship record.
Cook’s 227 County Championship wickets total, the most by any seamer in the previous five years, were only on par with an average of 19.85, compared to his total of 321 first-class wickets.
Cook, Tongue, and Atkinson, England’s most inexperienced pace attack in 22 years, are only able to produce 13 Test caps.
Without any of Chris Woakes, James Anderson, or Stuart Broad, who have both retired in the last 18 years, their second home Test has begun in England.
England’s two pace bowlers, Woakes and Mark Wood, are currently out injured.
Ben Stokes, captain of Nottinghamshire’s Tongue, will start his first Test since the 2023 Ashes against a faster bowling order.
He was unable to increase the two appearances he made that summer, which included 10 wickets, due to hamstring and pectoral issues.
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Source: BBC
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