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Jack and Shoaib named in England Test Squad
Jack Leach and Shoaib Bashir have been named in the 16-player England squad for the five-Test series against India which starts next month.
Shoaib is joined in the squad by two other players who are uncapped at Test level, Surrey’s Gus Atkinson and Tom Hartley of Lancashire.
Shoaib and Hartley were both part of the England Lions squad that trained in the United Arab Emirates last month, and they were joined in the UAE by vice-captain Ollie Pope and Jack Leach who stepped up their preparations as they return to Test duty following injury.
Atkinson claimed 20 wickets in five County Championship matches last summer at an average of 20.20 as Surrey claimed back-to-back titles.
Leicestershire’s teenage leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed returns to the Test squad after claiming a five-wicket haul on his Test debut in Pakistan last December.
Jack has featured in 35 Tests for England, claiming 124 wickets at an average of 34 with a best of five for 66.
20-year-old Shoaib was given the opportunity to play for the Somerset Second XI in 2022 after impressing the Club’s coaching staff whilst playing for Berkshire against the Somerset Seconds. He claimed nine wickets in those two Second XI Championship matches for the County at an average of just 14.11 with a best of five for 44 against Warwickshire and signed his first professional contract ahead of the 2023 season.
He made his debut for Somerset in all three formats in 2023 and his performances saw the off spinner awarded a two-year contract extension.
England Men’s squad for tour of India:
Ben Stokes (Durham – captain)
Rehan Ahmed (Leicestershire)
James Anderson (Lancashire)
Gus Atkinson (Surrey)
Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire)
Shoaib Bashir (Somerset)
Harry Brook (Yorkshire)
Zak Crawley (Kent)
Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire)
Ben Foakes (Surrey)
Tom Hartley (Lancashire)
Jack Leach (Somerset)
Ollie Pope (Surrey)
Ollie Robinson (Sussex)
Joe Root (Yorkshire)
Mark Wood (Durham)
England Test schedule:
1st Test: India v England, 25-29 January, Hyderabad
2nd Test: India v England, 2-6 February, Vizag
3rd Test: India v England, 15-19 February, Rajkot
4th Test: India v England, 23-27 February, Ranchi
5th Test: India v England, 7-11 March, Dharamsala
