England has revealed their playing XI for the first Test against the West Indies at Lord's, which begins on Wednesday, July 10.
Debutants Gus Atkinson and Jamie Smith will make their first Test appearances for England, while James Anderson will be playing his final Test. Additionally, spinner Shoaib Bashir, who debuted in India earlier this year, will be playing his first Test match in England.
Chris Woakes will return to the lineup for the first time since last summer's Ashes series against Australia. Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett will open the batting, with Ollie Pope completing the top order. The middle order will be anchored by Joe Root, Harry Brook, and captain Ben Stokes. On his debut, Jamie Smith will assume wicket-keeping duties, as Jonny Bairstow and Ben Foakes are not in the squad.
Playing XI:
- Zak Crawley
- Ben Duckett
- Ollie Pope
- Joe Root
- Harry Brook
- Ben Stokes (C)
- Jamie Smith
- Chris Woakes
- Gus Atkinson
- Shoaib Bashir
- James Anderson