Sunday 30 June 2024 11:49 am

Change of guard for England as Test squad gets fresh look

DHARAMSALA, INDIA – MARCH 05: James Anderson of England during a nets session at Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium on March 05, 2024 in Dharamsala, India. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

England have called up two new players for their upcoming Tests against West Indies as they seek to put an embarrassing defeat against India earlier this year behind them.

In what will be Jimmy Anderson’s last ever Test matches for England, Nottinghamshire’s Dillon Pennington and Surrey’s Jamie Smith have got their first call-ups, while experienced wicket-keepers Jonny Bairstow and Ben Foakes were dropped.

Uncapped seamer Gus Atkinson has also received another call-up after not featuring in Tests against India.

Chris Woakes is also back in the Test squad, a year since the Ashes when he won the Player of the Series award.

Smith is set to put on the gloves behind the stumps, with the 23-year-old also specialising in batting. He has averaged 50.70 in this year’s County Championship.

It may finally settle a long-running problem for England. Smith will be the latest to try out wicket-keeping, following years of changes between Foakes, Bairstow and Jos Buttler.

Durham’s Ollie Robinson, who recently hit 198 runs, and Sussex’s Ollie Robinson have also both been left out of the Test squad.

Shoaib Bashir has been chosen as the squad’s sole spin-bowler, with Jack Leach and Tom Hartley failing to make the 14-man squad.

Pennington, who has taken 29 wickets this year in the Championship, will hope he can continue his run of form in England whites.

Jimmy Anderson will be playing his 188th and last Test match against West Indies in July, marking 21 years of Test cricket.

“The first Test of the summer is always a special moment, but it will be extra poignant with it being Jimmy’s last Test before he retires,” England managing director Rob Key said.

“He has given everything to the sport since his Test debut in 2003. We all would like to wish him well as he walks out at Lord’s for the last time for England,” he added.