Nottinghamshire seamer Dillon Pennington and Surrey batter Jamie Smith have been named in England’s Test squad for their first two matches against West Indies.
It represents maiden call-ups for the pair at this level, while Surrey seamer Gus Atkinson is the other uncapped player to feature having been part of the squad for the Test tour of India earlier in the year.
Smith looks set to keep wicket for England, with Jonny Bairstow and Ben Foakes not included in the squad, while Warwickshire seamer Chris Woakes is back in the fold for the first time since July 2023.
England kick off the series on July 10 at Lord’s before heading to Trent Bridge on July 18, followed by a trip to Edgbaston for the third and final Test on July 26, all live on Sky Sports Cricket.
Smith, 23, has been in outstanding form for Surrey in County Championship Division One this season, scoring 507 runs at an average of 50.70 to earn his likely Test debut.
Pennington, 25, has taken 29 County Championship wickets for Notts at an average of 23.03 following his move from Worcestershire earlier this year.
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Michael Holding was full of praise for James Anderson after he announced he will be retiring following the first Test against West Indies at Lord’s
The opening Test will mark the last for James Anderson as he prepares to close the curtain on a remarkable Test career.
It comes after the 41-year-old became the first seam bowler in history, and just the third bowler ever, to reach 700 Test wickets behind Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan against India back in March.
“The first Test of the summer is always a special moment, but it will be extra poignant with it being Jimmy’s (Anderson) last Test before he retires,” said ECB managing director for England men’s cricket Rob Key. “He has given everything to the sport since his Test debut in 2003. We all would like to wish him well as he walks out at Lord’s for the last time for England.
“We are looking forward to getting the season under way against a strong West Indies side in what will be an excellent Test series.”
Anderson made his international debut in December 2002 and his Test bow in May 2003, with his 187 Test appearances another England record and only beaten by Sachin Tendulkar’s 200 for India.
He played in 194 ODIs and 19 T20s before his international white-ball career ended in 2015 – the same year he overtook Sir Ian Botham’s 383 dismissals to become England’s record Test wicket-taker, then in 2018 overhauled Glenn McGrath’s total of 563 Test wickets to become the most prolific fast bowler of all time.
England Men’s Test squad for first two matches vs West Indies:
Ben Stokes (Durham) (Captain), James Anderson (Lancashire) (First Test only), Gus Atkinson (Surrey), Shoaib Bashir (Somerset), Harry Brook (Yorkshire), Zak Crawley (Kent), Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire), Dan Lawrence (Surrey), Dillon Pennington (Nottinghamshire), Ollie Pope (Surrey), Matthew Potts (Durham), Joe Root (Yorkshire), Jamie Smith (Surrey), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire).
Watch England’s Test summer as it begins with a three-match series against the West Indies, live on Sky Sports; Jamie Smith is handed debut in James Anderson’s farewell at Lord’s (July 10-14) followed by further matches at Trent Bridge (July 18-22) and Edgbaston (July 26-30)
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