England have given Ollie Robinson one last chance to live up to his “world class” potential, recalling the seamer in a revamped Test squad that contains three uncapped players in Emilio Gay, James Rew and Sonny Baker.
Like returning spinner Rehan Ahmed, none of the quartet were involved in this winter’s Ashes drubbing, which ended in a 4-1 defeat and widespread acceptance that there would need to be considerable on-field changes.
A selection panel that now includes Marcus North, whose move from director of cricket at Durham has been finalised, has delivered on that with the hat-trick of prospective debutants for next month’s Lord’s Test against New Zealand but the most intriguing move is the decision to hand an olive branch to Sussex’s Robinson.
The 32-year-old has outstanding Test numbers, taking 76 wickets at 22.92 in just 20 appearances, but has been an outcast since February 2024. There had been concerns over his physical durability, his ability to maintain speed over the course of a match and his relationship with the team’s leadership.
He has been lobbying hard for a second chance and a solid start to the county season has earned him the opportunity to restate his case as the team’s premier new-ball specialist.
It is a role they have not adequately filled since the staggered retirements of James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes and was a glaring problem in Australia.
Laying out the challenge to Robinson, managing director of men’s cricket Rob Key said: “Ollie Robinson, fit and at his best, is one of the best bowlers in the world.
“I always felt that we’ve been pretty transparent with Ollie. When he’s fit and bowling at a decent pace for him, which is around 82-83 miles an hour, he is world class. When you look at his record he is one of the few bowlers who’s right up there statistically, in all the bowlers globally, of all time.
“We’ve monitored him a lot, he looks like he’s back up to his full fitness and that’s what we required of him. Ollie’s not someone who’s disruptive or anything…you just want to be able to trust what you’re going to get.”
Durham batter Gay is well known to North and captain Ben Stokes but made a watertight case for inclusion in place of the axed Zak Crawley, whose long but inconsistent reign at the top of the order is over. Gay impressed England in Australia as part of the Lions squad and has fired his county to the top of Division Two with three centuries, 522 runs and a towering average of 92.
He has been batting at number three but has plenty of first-class experience as an opener. Rew faltered when given the chance to audition against the new ball for Somerset last week, but has been prolific further down and looks set to slot in as a spare batting option and wicketkeeping back-up to Jamie Smith.
Hampshire prospect Baker, meanwhile, looks to have benefitted from the absence of Jofra Archer and the injured Brydon Carse. Archer is currently performing well for Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League but his previous fitness problems mean he will not be rushed back into red-ball action and will instead work towards the second Test at the Kia Oval.
That may not be welcomed by traditionalists, or those who pay lavishly to see England’s best at the home of cricket, but Key suggested it was an act of necessary pragmatism.
“We’re always trying to do the dance between making sure that we have our best players playing and available as much as possible,” he said.
“That is part of the way the world works now with cricket, whatever country you’re in. You want them to be coming in fresh, ready and have enough bowling under them so they can perform at their best.”
Baker, 23, has plenty of pace and has impressed management with his attitude despite painfully expensive debuts in both white-ball formats. He comes in ahead of Matthew Potts, who is rebuilding at Durham after a disappointing outing in Sydney at the end of the Ashes. Matthew Fisher of Surrey was overlooked for that game after joining up as injury cover and retains his place in the fast bowling ranks.
Leg-spinning all-rounder Ahmed, who became England’s youngest men’s Test cricketer in Pakistan in 2022, comes into the frame for a first cap on home soil. He joins Shoaib Bashir, unused throughout the Ashes as he slipped behind the occasional off-spinner Will Jacks in the pecking order. Jacks ended up playing four Tests but is now surplus to requirements, alongside former vice-captain Ollie Pope and Crawley.
England squad for first Rothesay Test against New Zealand: B Stokes (c), R Ahmed, G Atkinson, S Baker, S Bashir, J Bethell, H Brook (vc), B Duckett, M Fisher, E Gay, J Rew, O Robinson, J Root, J Smith (wkt), J Tongue.
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