England announce 15-man squad for one-off Test against Ireland; Ben Foakes dropped while Jonny Bairstow returns
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has named a 15-member squad for the upcoming one-off Test against Ireland, which will begin on June 1 at the Lord's.
Ben Stokes, who will report to England after the conclusion of the league stages of the ongoing 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) will lead the team, while Ollie Pope has been named as the vice-captain. Jonny Bairstow makes a return to the national team after having sustained a serious leg injury in the build-up to the T20 World Cup 2022.
Wicketkeeper Ben Foakes does not find a place in the squad, with Bairstow set to assume the responsibility behind the stumps. Bairstow was recently seen keeping wickets for Yorkshire in the County Championship and is likely to do the same in the Ashes.
Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley continue to be the opening combination while Joe Root, Ben Stokes, and Harry Brook comprise the primary middle-order options.
Jack Leach is the sole lead spinner in the squad while the pace attack features the veteran duo of James Anderson and Stuart Broad. Jofra Archer, unfortunately, misses out due to a stress fracture to his elbow. The right-arm pacer struggled with injury while playing for the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the IPL and left the tournament early after having undergone a procedure in Belgium.
Anderson makes it to the squad despite sustaining a minor groin injury during his recent appearance for Lancashire against Somerset in the County Championship. The likes of Chris Woakes and Mark Wood have also been included in the squad after a significant absence, along with Ollie Robinson and Matthew Potts.
Commenting on the decision to leave out Foakes, who was rated as the "best in the world" by skipper Stokes not so long ago, ECB managing director for England Men's Cricket Rob Key said:
"We are looking forward to the summer ahead and getting into the swing of things, starting with a good test against Ireland.
“It was a seriously tough decision to leave Ben Foakes out of the squad. He has been excellent for England in the last year, but Jonny Bairstow is one of the best players in the world whose performances last summer epitomised what we are about."
England squad for one-off Test against Ireland
Ben Stokes (c), James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.
England will use the upcoming Test against Ireland as a platform for preparation, keeping the highly-anticipated Ashes series in mind, which begins on June 16.
Who will win the one-off Test between the two sides? Let us know what you think.