Ollie Pope and Dan Lawrence have been recalled to the England squad for the initial two Test matches against Pakistan. The pair are part of a 16-man selection for the series opener at Headingley on Wednesday, August 19. Jacob Bethell will miss the entire series due to an injury.
This three-match series will be England's first Test outing since the retirement of captain Ben Stokes and the dismissal of head coach Brendon McCullum. Joe Root will captain the side for the first time since his re-appointment to the role in July. Marcus Trescothick is serving as interim head coach, with Stephen Fleming set to begin his tenure as the permanent replacement in December.
Lawrence, 29, earns his place back in the squad after a strong domestic performance. He is currently the second-highest run-scorer in Division One of the County Championship, amassing 788 runs at an average of 65.66 from 13 innings, including five centuries. He is expected to bat in the middle order at number six, filling a vacancy created by Stokes' retirement.
Pope, the former vice-captain, was previously replaced in the squad following a period of inconsistent form. Like Lawrence, he has performed well in the County Championship this season, scoring 510 runs at an average of 56.66 for Surrey, with five half-centuries. However, he is not guaranteed an immediate return to the starting XI.
Jordan Cox is set to be promoted to bat at number three, replacing Bethell, who sustained a knee injury during the ODI series against India in July. Cox made his Test debut against New Zealand at The Oval.
"We have selected a squad for the first two Tests that balances rising talent with the experience needed against a quality Pakistan team," said England men's national selector Marcus North. "Dan Lawrence returns following an exceptional season so far with Surrey and we believe he has the right level of experience, maturity and skill to complement our middle order. Jordan Cox is well regarded as one of the most exciting talents in English cricket and will have the opportunity to bat at three in place of Jacob Bethell, who sadly misses this series through injury."
Also returning to the squad is Essex seamer Sam Cook, who last featured for England in May 2025. Brydon Carse is back after a broken wrist ruled him out of the Indian Premier League and the start of the Test summer. Spinner Shoaib Bashir has also retained his place after appearing in two Tests against New Zealand.
The England squad for the first two Tests against Pakistan is: Joe Root (c), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Sam Cook, Jordan Cox, Ben Duckett, Matthew Fisher, Emilio Gay, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue.