Key Batter Ruled Out as England Name Squad for Sri Lanka Tests
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| England has announced a 14-member squad for the three-match Test series against Sri Lanka. / GettyImages |
England have announced their 14-member squad for the upcoming three-match Test series against Sri Lanka. Regular opener Zak Crawley will miss the series due to a fractured right little finger sustained during the third Test of the recently concluded series against the West Indies, which England won 3-0.
Additionally, seamer Dillion Pennington, who was part of the Test squad for the West Indies series, is also ruled out after suffering a hamstring injury while playing in The Hundred competition.
In their places, Jordan Cox and Olly Stone have been called up. Cox, a middle-order batter from Essex, was part of England's white-ball setup during their tour of Pakistan last year. He has been the leading run-scorer for Essex in this season's County Championship, amassing 763 runs at an average of 69.36, with three centuries to his name.
For Stone, this marks a return to the England lineup for the first time since 2021. The Nottinghamshire speedster has played three Tests, taking 10 wickets at an average of 19.4.
The first Test between England and Sri Lanka commences on 21 August in Manchester. This series will be part of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25. Sri Lanka are currently placed fourth with a point percentage of 50, while England are sixth following their series whitewash against the West Indies.
ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 Standings
England Squad:
- Ben Stokes (c)
- Gus Atkinson
- Shoaib Bashir
- Harry Brook
- Jordan Cox
- Ben Duckett
- Dan Lawrence
- Ollie Pope
- Matthew Potts
- Joe Root
- Jamie Smith
- Olly Stone
- Chris Woakes
- Mark Wood
Ready for some more Test Cricket? 😍
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 4, 2024
Two changes in the squad going into our Sr Lanka series 👇#EnglandCricket
