Dan Lawrence and Jordan Cox have been earmarked to play in England’s first Test against Pakistan with Jacob Bethell set to miss the three-match series because of a right knee injury.
The post-Ben Stokes era starts at Headingley on August 19 and Surrey’s batting all-rounder Lawrence is set to have the first crack at trying to fill the prodigious shoes of the former Test captain.
He is set to bat at number six with wicketkeeper Jamie Smith likely to slot in one place lower down, while Bethell being sidelined has opened the door for Cox, who has been allocated first drop in the batting order.
Cox’s own injury misfortune meant he only made his Test debut against New Zealand at the Kia Oval in June, when he was down at seven, but he is set for a more prominent role.
Fast bowler Brydon Carse missed the 2-1 loss against the Black Caps because of an injury to his right hand but he has been named in England’s 16-strong squad for the first two Tests under returning captain Joe Root, with Marcus Trescothick interim head coach in the absence of the newly-appointed Stephen Fleming.
Former vice-captain Ollie Pope has also been recalled, having been discarded after a disappointing Ashes in which he averaged 20.83 before making way for Bethell, while seamer Sam Cook is also included, having made his lone Test appearance against Zimbabwe in May 2025 and been overlooked since.
Off-spinner Shoaib Bashir has been retained although it remains to be seen if he keeps his spot in the XI after confirmation that Lawrence, who bowls useful off-breaks, will definitely be in the team.
Lawrence has been in the international wilderness since making the last of his 14 Test appearances in September 2024, having struggled batting out-of-position as an opener against Sri Lanka.
He has, though, been in a rich vein of form in the Rothesay County Championship, averaging 65.66 with five hundred-plus scores in eight Division One outings this season, which has turned the heads of England’s selectors.
Bowling all-rounders Sam Curran and Rehan Ahmed were the other options to try to balance the side in the absence of Stokes, who ended his storied England career following the series defeat by the Kiwis after 7,273 runs and 252 wickets in Tests.
England head into the curtain-raiser against Pakistan having lost seven of their last nine Tests while they are without a series win since December 2024.
National selector Marcus North said: “We have selected a squad for the first two Tests that balances rising talent with the experience needed against a quality Pakistan team.
“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 3 in place of Jacob Bethell, who sadly misses this series through injury.”
England squad for first two Tests against Pakistan: J Root (captain), J Archer, G Atkinson, S Bashir, H Brook, B Carse, S Cook, J Cox, B Duckett, M Fisher, E Gay, D Lawrence, O Pope, O Robinson, J Smith, J Tongue.
