BRISBANE (Australia): England preferred Ollie Pope to wicket-keeper batter Jonny Bairstow as they announced a 12-member squad on the eve of the Gabba Test.
In the bowling department, England have included left-arm spinner Jack Leach with five seam options – Mark Wood, Ollie Robinson, Stuart Broad, Chris Woakes and Ben Stokes. Both Woakes and Stokes offer all-round options and are likely to be named in the playing XI.
Earlier, England had announced that their leading wicket-taker in Test cricket, James Anderson, would not feature in the first Ashes Test as part of the pacer’s workload management.
The visitors, however, will be bolstered by the inclusion of their star all-rounder, Stokes, who last played a Test in March. Since then, he was on a break, working on his mental health.
“He’s been performing very nicely in the nets, and in that warm-up game he looks fit, he looks strong and he’s hitting the ball well as well,” said wicket-keeper batter Jos Buttler.
England squad for first Test: Joe Root (captain), Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler (wk), Haseeb Hameed, Jack Leach, Dawid Malan, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.
