Sports Bulletin Report
LONDON:-England Men's 6-member selection panel have named a 13-strong squad for the first two Test matches of the summer against New Zealand starting at Lord's on 2 June. Yorkshire batter Harry Brook and Durham seamer Matthew Potts are called up for the first time.
Brook has been the standout batsman in Division one of the LV= Insurance County Championship. The 23-year-old, who made his England T20 debut in January in the Caribbean, has scored 758 runs at an average of 151.60, including three centuries and four half-centuries for the white rose county during the summer campaign.
The 23-year-old Potts has been in impressive form in the LV= Insurance County Championship. He is the season's leading bowler, with 35 wickets and four five-wicket hauls, including his most recent return of seven for 40 in Durham's win over Glamorgan.
The seam duo of Lancashire's James Anderson and Nottinghamshire's Stuart Broad return to the squad for the first time since the Australia Test series earlier this winter.
Managing Director Rob Key said:
"This is the start of a new era for our Test team under the stewardship of Ben (Stokes) and Brendon (McCullum). With a blend of youth and experience, we have selected an exciting squad that can compete with New Zealand in next month's Test series.
"We have rewarded players in Harry Brook and Matty Potts who have had outstanding starts to the County season, and they deserve the opportunity to stake a claim at this level.
"It promises to be a mouthwatering series, and I can't wait for the team to start against a very good New Zealand side. It is a fascinating prospect for everyone connected with the sport in this country."
The three-match Test series forms part of the ICC World Test Championship. The England team will be looking to climb the rankings after a disappointing start to the second edition of the Championship. At the end of the two-year cycle, the top two teams will compete in the ICC World Test Championship Final due to be staged in the summer of 2023.
The squad will come together for the first time next week in a camp before reporting to Lord's on 29 May ahead of the first Test on the 2 June.
Selection Panel:
The selection panel consists of Rob Key (Managing Director, England Men's Cricket), Brendon McCullum (England Men's Head Coach), Ben Stokes (England Men's Test Captain), Mo Bobat (Performance Director), James Taylor (Head Scout), David Court (Player ID Lead).
Names of players:
Ben Stokes (Durham) captain, James Anderson (Lancashire), Jonathan Bairstow (Yorkshire), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Harry Brook (Yorkshire), Zak Crawley (Kent), Ben Foakes (Surrey), Jack Leach (Somerset), Alex Lees (Durham), Craig Overton (Somerset), Matthew Potts (Durham), Ollie Pope (Surrey), Joe Root (Yorkshire)
Schedule (Test Matches)
1st Test: England v New Zealand, 2-6 June, Lord’s Cricket Ground, London
2nd Test: England v New Zealand, 10-14 June, Trent Bridge, Nottingham
3rd Test: England v New Zealand, 23-27 June, Headingley, Leeds
