England announce XII for Lord's Test against NZ; two debutants
What's the story
England have announced their 12-player squad for the impending first Test against New Zealand at Lord's, starting June 4. The team will see the debuts of batter Emilio Gay and seamer Sonny Baker. Ollie Robinson is also set to play his first Test in over two years. The final XI will be confirmed on Thursday morning, with head coach Brendon McCullum suggesting that bad weather could influence their decision between two fast bowlers, possibly Gus Atkinson and Baker.
Squad adjustments
Rew, Ahmed, and Fisher dropped from final squad
The final squad for the Test match has seen a few changes from the original 15 players announced last month. James Rew, who was also set to make his debut, leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed, and fast bowler Matt Fisher have all been dropped from the final squad. Despite these changes, McCullum remains confident in their selection strategy for this crucial match against New Zealand at Lord's.
Strategy insight
McCullum on fast bowler selection
McCullum explained their selection strategy, saying they are weighing the option of an extra fast bowler against a more traditional bowling attack that could exploit overhead conditions. He said, "We'll just work out whether we want the extra air speed, if all of a sudden it becomes 35 degrees and flattens out. Or we stick to what's tried and tested at Lord's."
Spin strategy
Shoaib Bashir likely to return to the XI
Shoaib Bashir, who was England's first-choice spinner for 18 months but missed this winter's Ashes, is likely to return to the XI. McCullum said Bashir could play a holding role in the initial days of the match and then shift to an attacking role if spin becomes more prominent later on. England squad: Ben Stokes (captain), Gus Atkinson, Sonny Baker, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Ben Duckett, Emilio Gay, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, and Josh Tongue.