West Indies’ remarkable series-squaring victory at Headingley has not deterred England from promptly naming the same 13-man squad for the third and final Test, despite the week-long wait until it begins.
Tom Westley, who averages 20 in four Tests at No3, has been handed a final chance to stake a claim for an Ashes berth. Toby Roland-Jones and Mason Crane, the two unused players at Headingley, are also retained, although the delicate state of the series after West Indies’ five-wicket victory would appear to make a debut for the 20-year-old leg-spinner less likely, even if England are keen to learn of his readiness for the tour of Australia.
Hampshire’s Crane is one of three England squad members, along with Warwickshire’s Chris Woakes and Stuart Broad of Nottinghamshire, who have been made available to play in Saturday’s T20 Finals Day.
One man who will be at Lord’s for the final Test on 7 September but not on the Ashes tour is the England bowling coach, Ottis Gibson, who has been named as Russell Domingo’s successor as the coach of South Africa. “He is an ambitious man and when this opportunity presented itself it was difficult for him to turn it down,” said Andrew Strauss, the England director of cricket.
The 48-year-old Gibson, whose appointment by South Africa had been anticipated, rejoined England in 2015 after holding the position from 2007-10 before he left to coach West Indies. “Ottis has played a vital role in our progress over the past few years,” said Trevor Bayliss, the England coach. “His knowledge of the international game and the way he has supported all our bowlers in their development has been immeasurable.”
Gibson, who was praised by Broad after he became England’s second-highest Test wicket-taker, will be a tough act to follow. Among those in the frame to succeed him are the former England bowlers Richard Johnson (Middlesex’s bowling coach) and Chris Silverwood (the Essex coach) while there is an outside chance of a player-coach role for Jimmy Anderson as he nears 500 Test wickets.
Jason Gillespie, who came close to securing Bayliss’s job in 2015 when the coach of Yorkshire, will not be applying.
