
England line-up change is going to come with Sam Cook making Test debut
Essex bowler Cook received a long-awaited call-up after several years as one of county cricket's most reliable wicket-takers and has now been confirmed in the XI that will line up at Trent Bridge on Thursday.
Tongue, who impressed with a spirited Ashes performance at Lord's in 2023 but missed the whole of last season with a pectoral injury, has also been picked in a new-look attack fronted by Gus Atkinson.
That means no place for Durham's Matthew Potts, who sits out alongside the uncapped James Rew.
Shoaib Bashir retains his spot as spinner despite taking just two wickets in a low-key loan spell at Glamorgan, while fit-again captain Ben Stokes is expected to offer some overs after a lengthy rehabilitation period from his latest hamstring tear.
Cook's belated elevation means he arrives in the Test arena with a highly impressive body of work under his belt, something that has not always been the case under a selection regime that often prioritises potential. A tally of 321 wickets in 89 first-class appearances, and an average of 19.85, means he is more than qualified.
But England's penchant for high pace means he has had to wait for the retirements of James Anderson and Stuart Broad, as well as an injury to Chris Woakes, to open up space for a player with his gentler speed and nuanced skills.
'I've been incredibly fortunate to have been a fan growing up watching those guys. They are some of the best who have ever done it and people I've tried to emulate,' he said.
'They're tough acts to follow, aren't they? But as a fan and as a bowler, trying to sort of learn from them and watch them, it's been very valuable.
'At 27 I feel like a better cricketer for the experiences I've had in the game. The older you get, you probably feel more comfortable and I know that I'm never going to be a 90mph bowler.
'I think it's probably driven me on and made me a better bowler for it. I certainly trust what I do and feel comfortable in my own skin.'
Cook's appearance in Nottingham was flagged up several weeks ago when England requested he be rested from Essex's County Championship match against Worcestershire and he has had a couple of weeks to digest his official call-up, building the anticipation.
'I think having a little bit of lead time to process it is probably good but you just want to get stuck in straight away,' he said.
'I was sort of like a kid at Christmas that week, almost wanting it to go quicker just to get here. I'm just excited at the prospect of what's potentially to come and trying to get stuck in and take some wickets.'
If he does, Cook will be adding them to the 'little black book' he keeps to record his victims.
'It started as a bit of a joke when I was younger,' he explained.
'It's something I can look back on when I finish playing. It'll be a nice memento. There'll be some good names in there and a few more to come hopefully. When I was quite young I got Joe Root first ball. I'll let him know about that one. Maybe he can sign it this week.'

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Rhyl Journal
an hour ago
- Rhyl Journal
Bukayo Saka says toughest injury setback gave him more balanced outlook on life
The Arsenal winger has admitted he initially feared he might never be the same player again after he suffered a hamstring injury against Crystal Palace last December which kept him out of action until April. However, the enforced time away from football's 'conveyor belt' has helped him see the bigger picture, as he prepares to round off the season by playing his first England match since Thomas Tuchel took charge against Senegal on Tuesday night. 'I got to spend more time with my family and got to do more of the little things around the house that I wouldn't have even paid attention to when I was playing,' Saka said. In the zone 💫 — England (@England) June 9, 2025 'On that note it was nice and I've come back with a bit more of a balanced head about football and life, and I'm trying to balance them better. It definitely helped me mentally.' Saka also had a new arrival to keep him occupied. 'I got the dog while I was still playing but I got injured and he came while I was injured,' he said. 'It was a bit tough at first because he's a puppy and I couldn't really get after him. It was a good experience. It was funny. His name is Tucker.' Saka said he also spent time reading, including one especially influential book called 'The Power of Now', written by Eckhart Tolle and given to Saka by Arsenal assistant coach Carlos Cuesta. '(The book is) about not thinking about the past, not thinking about the future. Just being in the moment and always asking yourself 'what's necessary right now?',' he said. A post shared by Bukayo Saka (@bukayosaka87) 'Sometimes I can think, 'oh, am I going to come back in the best shape?'. Or, in the past, 'what could I have done to prevent injury?'. 'But all that is not necessary. It's only going to bring bad energy and negativity to your body.' The timing of Saka's injury meant he had to undergo surgery at 5am on Christmas Eve in order to be able to return home in time for Christmas Day. 'It was horrible. It was the day before (Christmas Eve) we had to decide. Normally you get more time to make a decision,' he recalled. 'But where it was going to be Christmas, the surgeons want to be with their families, so I decided on the spot that we were doing the surgery. Then it was deciding what time and was I going to be there on Christmas Day. Obviously, that was the last thing I wanted. 'So I had to do it at 5am or 6am on Christmas Eve. Credit to the surgeon – he got up early to do it. I was out of the hospital at about 3 or 4pm and home. Christmas Day, I went to my cousin's house but I was in a big brace and had crutches.' Asked what his Christmas Day was like, Saka said: 'I had to get my presents brought to me. It doesn't sound like the worst thing! 'When everyone got up to go to the dining room, it took me about 10 minutes to get there. Little things like that. It was very painful to get up and make my way there.'


South Wales Guardian
an hour ago
- South Wales Guardian
Bukayo Saka says toughest injury setback gave him more balanced outlook on life
The Arsenal winger has admitted he initially feared he might never be the same player again after he suffered a hamstring injury against Crystal Palace last December which kept him out of action until April. However, the enforced time away from football's 'conveyor belt' has helped him see the bigger picture, as he prepares to round off the season by playing his first England match since Thomas Tuchel took charge against Senegal on Tuesday night. 'I got to spend more time with my family and got to do more of the little things around the house that I wouldn't have even paid attention to when I was playing,' Saka said. In the zone 💫 — England (@England) June 9, 2025 'On that note it was nice and I've come back with a bit more of a balanced head about football and life, and I'm trying to balance them better. It definitely helped me mentally.' Saka also had a new arrival to keep him occupied. 'I got the dog while I was still playing but I got injured and he came while I was injured,' he said. 'It was a bit tough at first because he's a puppy and I couldn't really get after him. It was a good experience. It was funny. His name is Tucker.' Saka said he also spent time reading, including one especially influential book called 'The Power of Now', written by Eckhart Tolle and given to Saka by Arsenal assistant coach Carlos Cuesta. '(The book is) about not thinking about the past, not thinking about the future. Just being in the moment and always asking yourself 'what's necessary right now?',' he said. A post shared by Bukayo Saka (@bukayosaka87) 'Sometimes I can think, 'oh, am I going to come back in the best shape?'. Or, in the past, 'what could I have done to prevent injury?'. 'But all that is not necessary. It's only going to bring bad energy and negativity to your body.' The timing of Saka's injury meant he had to undergo surgery at 5am on Christmas Eve in order to be able to return home in time for Christmas Day. 'It was horrible. It was the day before (Christmas Eve) we had to decide. Normally you get more time to make a decision,' he recalled. 'But where it was going to be Christmas, the surgeons want to be with their families, so I decided on the spot that we were doing the surgery. Then it was deciding what time and was I going to be there on Christmas Day. Obviously, that was the last thing I wanted. 'So I had to do it at 5am or 6am on Christmas Eve. Credit to the surgeon – he got up early to do it. I was out of the hospital at about 3 or 4pm and home. Christmas Day, I went to my cousin's house but I was in a big brace and had crutches.' Asked what his Christmas Day was like, Saka said: 'I had to get my presents brought to me. It doesn't sound like the worst thing! 'When everyone got up to go to the dining room, it took me about 10 minutes to get there. Little things like that. It was very painful to get up and make my way there.'


North Wales Chronicle
2 hours ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Bukayo Saka says toughest injury setback gave him more balanced outlook on life
The Arsenal winger has admitted he initially feared he might never be the same player again after he suffered a hamstring injury against Crystal Palace last December which kept him out of action until April. However, the enforced time away from football's 'conveyor belt' has helped him see the bigger picture, as he prepares to round off the season by playing his first England match since Thomas Tuchel took charge against Senegal on Tuesday night. 'I got to spend more time with my family and got to do more of the little things around the house that I wouldn't have even paid attention to when I was playing,' Saka said. In the zone 💫 — England (@England) June 9, 2025 'On that note it was nice and I've come back with a bit more of a balanced head about football and life, and I'm trying to balance them better. It definitely helped me mentally.' Saka also had a new arrival to keep him occupied. 'I got the dog while I was still playing but I got injured and he came while I was injured,' he said. 'It was a bit tough at first because he's a puppy and I couldn't really get after him. It was a good experience. It was funny. His name is Tucker.' Saka said he also spent time reading, including one especially influential book called 'The Power of Now', written by Eckhart Tolle and given to Saka by Arsenal assistant coach Carlos Cuesta. '(The book is) about not thinking about the past, not thinking about the future. Just being in the moment and always asking yourself 'what's necessary right now?',' he said. A post shared by Bukayo Saka (@bukayosaka87) 'Sometimes I can think, 'oh, am I going to come back in the best shape?'. Or, in the past, 'what could I have done to prevent injury?'. 'But all that is not necessary. It's only going to bring bad energy and negativity to your body.' The timing of Saka's injury meant he had to undergo surgery at 5am on Christmas Eve in order to be able to return home in time for Christmas Day. 'It was horrible. It was the day before (Christmas Eve) we had to decide. Normally you get more time to make a decision,' he recalled. 'But where it was going to be Christmas, the surgeons want to be with their families, so I decided on the spot that we were doing the surgery. Then it was deciding what time and was I going to be there on Christmas Day. Obviously, that was the last thing I wanted. 'So I had to do it at 5am or 6am on Christmas Eve. Credit to the surgeon – he got up early to do it. I was out of the hospital at about 3 or 4pm and home. Christmas Day, I went to my cousin's house but I was in a big brace and had crutches.' Asked what his Christmas Day was like, Saka said: 'I had to get my presents brought to me. It doesn't sound like the worst thing! 'When everyone got up to go to the dining room, it took me about 10 minutes to get there. Little things like that. It was very painful to get up and make my way there.'