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The Independent
18 hours ago
- Health
- The Independent
‘If all goes well' Jofra Archer could make England Test return against India
England paceman Jofra Archer could make his Test return as soon as next month's second match against India, while the door has been kept ajar for Jacob Bethell to force his way into the series opener. A 14-man squad will travel to Headingley for the first Test, with Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Jamie Overton and Bethell all returning after missing the season's curtain-raiser against Zimbabwe last month. Archer was not considered for duty due to a broken thumb, the latest in a long sequence of fitness issues that have seen him exiled from the longer format for more than four years. But the eagerness to see the X-factor quick back in whites remains undiminished, particularly with an Ashes winter coming up. A potential route that sees him back in time to play at Edgbaston at the start of July has been mapped out, with a low-key outing for Sussex's second XI followed by a Rothesay County Championship game against Durham from June 22. Should he come through both assignments unscathed, the path could be clear for him to finally begin the long-awaited second chapter of a Test career that began with a bang against Australia in 2019. 'If things go well, he should be available for the second Test,' said selector Luke Wright. 'He's got to keep ticking off every day and getting no sort of setbacks, but if all goes well and Jofra gets through that Durham game, then he's available potentially for selection for that second Test. 'We'll watch him in that game for Sussex and see where he's at. He's such a talent, it doesn't take him too long to get up to speed. 'We can assess it from there: how he's bowled, how he's feeling, and if we want him to go for that second Test, we can asses as we go. We'll know more after that game.' With Gus Atkinson absent with a hamstring strain from the Zimbabwe game, England are expected to go in with a pace attack of Carse, Woakes and Josh Tongue. That would position Sam Cook as back-up to Woakes after a middling debut at Trent Bridge and Overton as cover for the quicker pair on his return to the Test squad after three years away. A thornier decision awaits when it comes to Bethell. England rate the 21-year-old extremely highly following his impressive maiden series in New Zealand before Christmas and he was in eye-catching form during the recent ODI clean sweep against West Indies. 'He's very close to it, it's a great option to have, isn't it?' Wright said of Bethell. 1st Test - Headingley, Jun 20-24 2nd Test - Edgbaston, Jul 2-6 3rd Test - Lord's, Jul 10-14 4th Test - Old Trafford, Jul 23-27 5th Test - The Oval, Jul 31-Aug 4 Captain Ben Stokes has become frustrated at media speculation that Bethell could come in for his deputy Ollie Pope, who scored a fine century against Zimbabwe to seemingly shore up his spot at number three, but the question is not going away. Wright stopped short of offering an iron-clad promise that Pope would retain his position against India but both he and Zak Crawley appear likely to stay in place, in the short term at least. 'What a talent we all see in him. We'll get together when we get up to Leeds and announce that two days out from the Test,' Wright said. 'We'll consider everything: conditions, what has gone before. All of those considerations go into the melting pot.' England squad for the first Test against India: B Stokes (c), S Bashir, J Bethell, H Brook, B Carse, S Cook, Z Crawley, B Duckett, J Overton, O Pope, J Root, J Smith (wkt), J Tongue, C Woakes.
The Independent
a day ago
- General
- The Independent
Jamie Overton returns to England Test squad for time in three years
Jamie Overton has returned to England's Test squad for the first time in three years for the series opener against India as Jacob Bethell, Chris Woakes and Brydon Carse also return. Overton has been a regular in the white-ball set-up in recent times but won his solitary Test cap against New Zealand in 2022, taking two wickets and hitting an unexpected 97 with the bat. It remains to be seen whether the all-rounder will be fully fit to take the field at Headingley on June 20, having broken the little finger on his right hand during the recent ODIs against West Indies, but he has been given every chance to prove his fitness. The England and Wales Cricket Board has said the 31-year-old will be 'assessed and reviewed daily' by its medical team, who have already ruled Overton's Surrey team-mate Gus Atkinson out of the match. Atkinson tweaked his hamstring in the recent Test against Zimbabwe and has not been passed fit for the trip to Leeds. In his absence, England have further bolstered their pace bowling stocks with comebacks for fit-again pair Woakes and Carse. Both men missed the early part of the season with injury problems of their own, ruling them out of the opening Test of the summer. Woakes, who faces the tourists with England Lions in Northampton over the next four days, could edge out Sam Cook, who retains his place after a quiet debut against Zimbabwe. Carse, meanwhile, is in line for his first home cap after impressing over the winter in Pakistan and New Zealand. A thornier selection dilemma concerns Bethell, the 21-year-old rising star who is back from IPL duty and placing pressure on the top three. Bethell confirmed his status as an outstanding prospect with a highly-accomplished series against the West Indies and has already shown an aptitude for the cut and thrust of the Test arena on the New Zealand tour. Vice-captain Ollie Pope and Zak Crawley were both thought to be under pressure from his reintroduction but the pair reeled off matching hundreds against Zimbabwe and received glowing praise from skipper Ben Stokes in the aftermath. Stokes had earlier been equally effusive about Bethell but clarified that his endorsement only guaranteed a return to the squad, not the side. That is a decision that must now be taken as England ponder how to balance their options against an India side in a renewal phase following the retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. England squad for first Test against India: B Stokes (c), S Bashir, J Bethell, H Brook, B Carse, S Cook, Z Crawley, B Duckett, J Overton, O Pope, J Root, J Smith (wkt), J Tongue, C Woakes.
The Independent
a day ago
- Health
- The Independent
Gus Atkinson ruled out of first India Test as Jamie Overton and Jacob Bethell return to England squad
England seamer Gus Atkinson has been ruled out of the first Test against India, with Jamie Overton, Chris Woakes and Brydon Carse all bolstering the pace ranks. Atkinson suffered a hamstring injury in the one-off encounter with Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge and faces a spell on the sidelines, leading to a recall for Surrey all-rounder Overton, who played his only Test against New Zealand in June 2022. The 31-year-old is also something of a fitness doubt after breaking a finger in the white-ball series against the West Indies, with England suggesting he will be assessed daily ahead of the start of the India Tests at Headingley. A fit-again Carse has impressed in those shorter-format games after a breakthrough winter with the Test team, while the experienced Woakes is expected to feature for the England Lions against India A at Northampton next week as he builds up his workloads. Fellow seamers Josh Tongue and Sam Cook also retain their places in a 14-man squad. The return of Jacob Bethell, who missed the Zimbabwe match due to the Indian Premier League (IPL), poses a top-order headache for head coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes. The left-hander made an assured start to life in Tests having been promoted to No 3 in New Zealand but incumbents Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope all made hundreds, with the trio thought likely to retain their places. The Headingley encounter begins on 20 June and is the first of five in an eagerly-anticipated series. India will begin life under a new captain with Shubman Gill appointed skipper after Rohit Sharma's retirement, while Virat Kohli has also stepped away from the red-ball game. England squad for first Test against India at Headingley (20-24 June) Ben Stokes (Durham) – Captain Shoaib Bashir (Somerset) Jacob Bethell (Warwickshire) Harry Brook (Yorkshire) Brydon Carse (Durham) Sam Cook (Essex) Zak Crawley (Kent) Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire) Jamie Overton (Surrey) Ollie Pope (Surrey) Joe Root (Yorkshire) Jamie Smith (Surrey) Josh Tongue (Nottinghamshire)
The Guardian
a day ago
- Health
- The Guardian
England bring Woakes, Carse and Overton into squad for first India Test
There is still a fortnight to go until the first Test against India but England are a team in a hurry these days. On Thursday morning they named a 14-man squad for the series opener, with Brydon Carse, Chris Woakes, and Jamie Overton all drafted in as options with the ball after Gus Atkinson was ruled out through injury. No official date has been put on Atkinson's return after a hamstring issue picked up during the innings victory against Zimbabwe last month. But with a week between the first Test at Headingley that starts on 20 June and the second at Lord's, England are hopeful that the breakout star of last year can have an impact on the five-match series. In the meantime, five seamers are likely to compete for three spots in the XI, with Josh Tongue and Sam Cook retained after the one-off Test against Zimbabwe and the unused Matthew Potts now overlooked altogether. Cook, who took one for 119 on debut, will be hoping for a second chance to impress with the new ball. This may hinge on whether Woakes is up to speed, with the 36-year-old's start to the summer delayed by a bone stress reaction in his ankle. Having played one round of county cricket for Warwickshire a fortnight ago, the next fitness test comes with an outing for England Lions against India A starting on Friday. Tongue will similarly feature in this match, making the early release of the Test squad a surprise. The same can be said for Overton's recall, three years after his solitary Test cap against New Zealand and now nursing a broken little finger. Although with Atkinson missing, and Woakes still to prove his readiness, the long-handle with which Overton plundered 97 on debut could shore up the lower order. Carse, back after a toe injury and having shone in Test cricket last winter, can also hold a bat. More predictable was an instant return for Jacob Bethell, who missed the one-off Zimbabwe Test due to its clash with the Indian Premier League. With the 21-year-old all-rounder having shone during his maiden series in New Zealand last winter, the question now is whether he slots into the XI at the earliest opportunity. England squad for first Test Ben Stokes (c), Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Sam Cook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wk), Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes Schedule 1st Test: England v India, 20-24 June 2025, Headingley, Leeds 2nd Test: England v India, 2-6 July 2025, Edgbaston, Birmingham 3rd Test: England v India, 10-14 July 2025, Lord's, London 4th Test: England v India, 23-27 July 2025, Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester 5th Test: England v India, 31 July-4 August 2025, Kia Oval, London If so it would represent something of a U-turn from Ben Stokes. Irked by debate around the No 3 position, and having watched Ollie Pope deliver a sparkling 171 at Trent Bridge in Bethell's absence, Stokes chuntered about a 'media agenda' in his post-match press conference and threw his weight behind his vice-captain. Sign up to The Spin Subscribe to our cricket newsletter for our writers' thoughts on the biggest stories and a review of the week's action after newsletter promotion More positive for Stokes in the aftermath of that game was his own return to bowling after hamstring surgery at the start of the year. As a result, an initial plan to turn out for the Lions has been dropped and Stokes, who tends to opt out of warm-up cricket on tour, will probably continue his preparations in training.
BBC News
a day ago
- Sport
- BBC News
England hopeful over Ecclestone despite new injury
England are hopeful Sophie Ecclestone will be fit for this summer's series against India despite the spinner suffering a new was withdrawn from Lancashire's T20 defeat by Hampshire on Tuesday because of a quad severity of the injury will be assessed in the coming 26-year-old had already been left out of the ongoing series against West Indies as part of her recovery from a knee injury. England insisted Ecclestone's omission from the squad, the first chosen by head coach Charlotte Edwards, was not related to the controversy that overshadowed an awful Ashes tour of Australia earlier this England's 16-0 series defeat Ecclestone refused to take part in a TV interview conducted by Alex Hartley, following the former spinner's criticism of England's England's leading bowler, actually made her return for Lancashire at Warwickshire on the day she was left out by had previously spent almost two months on the sidelines after playing for UP Warriorz in the Women's Premier has since played two one-dayers and six T20s for Lancashire, including two in a day in a starring role for the Red Rose as they won the Twenty20 Cup last Ecclestone's absence, England have outclassed West Indies across the 20-over and 50-over formats. Fellow left-arm spinner Linsey Smith marked her ODI debut with a five-wicket haul in Derby last series against a powerful India side, including five T20s and three ODIs, begins on 28 June.
