It may be viewed as anamuse-bouchebefore the main course of India in June, but England’s one-off Test against Zimbabwe is fast approaching. Selection is imminent – for the four-day match Trent Bridge that gets under way on 22 May and a training camp in Loughborough that precedes it – and after four rounds of the County Championship, the contenders are beginning to take shape.
Had the New Zealand series before Christmas been five Tests, there is every chance Zak Crawley would have been compassionately hooked before its conclusion, such was his ordeal at the hands of Matt Henry. But England may well point to Crawley’s average of 46.6 in his most recent outings against India and Australia as reason to persist. A couple of half-centuries for Kent has hinted at an upturn, but without a Test century since the 2023 Ashes Crawley still needs a score.
Ben Duckett is a comparative lock these days, but the No 3 position remains another talking point.Jacob Bethell made a bright first impressionin New Zealand – three half-centuries, including a near-miss 96 in Wellington, were all eye-catching contributions – but he is with Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League and a release to face Zimbabwe seems unlikely. After whipping players out of the IPL early last summer, England have promised their apparent superiors not to do it again.
It could, therefore, offer a reprieve for Ollie Pope, who performed admirably as an emergency wicketkeeper batting at No 6 while the management were getting all gooey-eyed about Bethell. The question here is what runs for Pope against Zimbabwe would mean for the India series beyond the standard“good headache to have” cliche.
A solitary home Test would not normally necessitate back-up in this department but England may also want Ben McKinney to experience the setup. Even in a low-scoring, seam-dominated match like his Durham side’s two-day win at Worcestershire last weekend, the giant left-hander – still only 20 – looked highly promising.
The panel could easily spend more time deliberating their preferred selection meeting biscuits than England’s middle order. Joe Root and Harry Brook are due to return for Yorkshire this week while Jamie Smith, back playing for Surrey after missing the New Zealand tour on paternity leave, is fresh from being named one of Wisden’s five cricketers of the year and inked in as first-choice wicketkeeper. The only potentially thorny issue is whetherBrook, the new white-ball captain, should replace Pope as vice-captain.
A greater unknown is Ben Stokes, who is yet to play after hamstring surgery at the start of the year but, aged 33, remains determined to see out his England career as a full-fledged all-rounder. Durham’s head coach, Ryan Campbell, is not expecting Stokes to play county cricket in the buildup, meaning Zimbabwe could serve as the only chance for the captain to get red-ball preparation before the India series.
England’s lust for pace is well documented, but skilful new-ball expertise is also valued, hence Chris Woakes taking on Jimmy Anderson’s mantle last summer (and ending his personal winter on the road with three wins from three). Woakes is yet to appear for Warwickshire this year, a growling ankle the subject of a recent injection, and this could well open the door for Sam Cook.
Essex supporters will be asking what took them so long. Cook has finessed 318 first-class wickets at 19.76, numbers that suggest, whatever the speed gun says, the right-armer is doing something batters do not like. Having thrived in the Kookaburra ball rounds last summer, and knocked back franchise offers to play for the Lions over the winter, Cook appears most likely to partner Gus Atkinson with the new ball. It would also soften some grumbling in the shires regarding England’s opinion of county cricket.
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In terms of quicks, the options are limited. Brydon Carse,breakout star of the winter, is on the comeback trail after a toe injury, whileMark Woodand Olly Stone are already ruled out of the Test summer with knee injuries. Enter Jofra Archer? Not so fast.Archer is at the IPLand while his Rajasthan side seems unlikely to make the playoffs – these clash with England’s lead-up to the Zimbabwe Test, hence the difficulty with Bethell – he would still need to increase his workloads after a year of white-ball cricket.
On the plus side, Josh Tongue has returned for Nottinghamshire and as well as getting batters hopping at the crease he has recorded two game-breaking five-wicket hauls. Matt Potts is technically an incumbent and continues to motor in for Durham, while England may also be lining up Sonny Baker for a taste of the environment, having asked Hampshire to rest the 22-year-old this season.
Like Japanese knotweed, the identity of England’s best spinner remains the hardiest of perennial dilemmas. Shoaib Bashir took 49 Test wickets in 2024 – third-most behind Jasprit Bumrah and Atkinson – but each one cost 40 runs apiece with a strike-rate of 64. In three outings for Glamorgan this season – a loan deal that highlights part of the problem – the 21-year-old has two wickets at 152 and gone at more than four runs an over.
Less than a year out from the Ashes, and having fast-tracked Bashir due to his height and over-spin, the question is whether England will blink. Not that they are flush with alternatives if they do. One option, and something that would solve the No 8 spot if Woakes is not yet ready, is Hampshire’s Liam Dawson, another named among Wisden’s five after a stellar 2024. But left-arm spin is notoriously ineffective in Australia. Farhan Ahmed, an orthodox offie with a wonderfully energetic wind-up, has impressed for Nottinghamshire and could follow his brother, Rehan, into the England setup, but, aged 17, he would be Bazball’s biggest gamble yet.
England (possible):Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Gus Atkinson, Sam Cook, Josh Tongue, Matthew Potts, Shoaib Bashir, Sonny Baker, Ben McKinney (uncapped)