England have named a 12-strong squad for the first Ashes Test against Australia starting at The Gabba in Brisbane on Wednesday 8 December. Ace all-rounder Ben Stokes make a return to the Test arena after a long injury haul and mental health break.
Joe Root & Co has shown trust in Rory Burns and Haseeb Hameed for the opening slots while Jos Buttler and Dawid Malan will have to lead the batting in the middle-order, which has been an area of concern for England.
Stuart Broad will lead the pace attack alongside Ollie Robinson in the absence of James Anderson. One between Chris Woakes and Mark Wood will make the squad with all-rounder Stokes taking up the fourth pacers role. Left-arm spinner Jack Leech is the lone spinner in the squad.
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Meanwhile, James Anderson will miss the opening Test against Australia as England look to manage the workload of the 39-year-old pace bowler. The board plans to get him ready for the pink-ball Test in Adelaide that begins just four days after the end of the first fixture.
“Jimmy is fit to play, and is not carrying an injury. With five Tests in six weeks the plan was to get him ready for the second Test in Adelaide,” an ECB statement said.
The decision has been taken with the view of not risking Anderson considering the limited build-up the teams have had in the lead-up to the fixture. In the 2019 Ashes, Anderson ended up bowling only four overs in the first Test at Edgbaston before a calf problem ruled him out of the rest of the Test series.
Also Read:Ā Ashes 2021: Schedule, Squads, Venues, Telecast, And Live Streaming Details
England Men’s Squad for first Ashes Test:Ā Joe Root (c), Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Haseeb Hameed, Jack Leach, Dawid Malan, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood
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