Surrey teammates Ollie Pope and Dan Lawrence have been called up to the 16-man England squad for the opening two Tests against Pakistan. This selection arrives before the first match at Headingley on August 19. Unfortunately, Jacob Bethell is sidelined for the entire series due to a knee injury sustained during the July ODI matches against India.
This series marks a transition period for England, following Ben Stokes’ retirement and the departure of head coach Brendon McCullum. Joe Root assumes the captaincy once more, while Marcus Trescothick takes charge as interim head coach until Stephen Fleming begins his role in December. Jordan Cox is expected to step into the number three position, filling the void left by Bethell.
Lawrence, who last played for England in September 2024, earned his recall through strong domestic performance, having scored 788 runs for Surrey this season. Meanwhile, former vice-captain Pope returns after a period of exclusion. National selector Marcus North highlighted the balance of the squad, noting the inclusion of returning players like seamer Sam Cook and Brydon Carse, alongside incumbent spinner Shoaib Bashir.
