Harry Brook named England's vice-captain for Ashes; Will Jacks included
What's the story
England have announced Harry Brook as the new vice-captain for the impending Ashes series against Australia. He takes over from Ollie Pope, a move head coach Brendon McCullum hinted at earlier this month. Will Jacks was also included in England's 16-man squad for the five-match series Down Under. While Brook leads England in white-ball cricket, Test captain Ben Stokes will spearhead the side in Australia.
Information
England squad for Ashes
England squad for Ashes: Ben Stokes (captain), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook (vice-captain), Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wicket-keeper), Josh Tongue, and Mark Wood.
Takeaways
Key takeaways from England's Ashes squad
Vice-captain Brook replaced Pope for the role, who led England in place of the injured Stokes in the Oval Test against India. Spin-bowling all-rounder Will Jacks has been recalled to the side after nearly three years. Senior pacer Chris Woakes has missed out after dislocating his shoulder during the Oval Test. Meanwhile, Mark Wood joins a star-studded pace attack, including Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, and Josh Tongue.
Schedule
A look at Ashes schedule
The Perth Stadium will host the Ashes opener from November 21. Meanwhile, the 2nd Test will be held at The Gabba, Brisbane, starting December 4. The series will then move to Adelaide (December 17) before the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne (December 26). Sydney will host the New Year's Test from January 4. Notably, the 2023 Ashes in England was drawn, with Australia retaining the urn.
Schedule
England to tour New Zealand before Ashes
Ahead of the Ashes, England will tour New Zealand for three T20Is and as many ODIs. The first two T20Is will be held in Christchurch on October 18 and 20. Auckland will host the final match on October 23. The three ODIs will take place on October 26 (Mount Maunganui), 29 (Hamilton), and November 1 (Wellington). Ben Duckett, Jamie Smith, and Jofra Archer will be rested for the T20I leg.
Squads
England T20I and ODI squads for NZ series
T20I squad: Harry Brook (captain), Rehan Ahmed, Sonny Baker, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler (wicket-keeper), Brydon Carse, Jordan Cox, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, and Luke Wood. ODI squad: Harry Brook (captain), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Sonny Baker, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler, Brydon Carse, Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, and Luke Wood.