England Names Squad for Sri Lanka Series
England has announced a 14-member squad for their upcoming three-match Test series against Sri Lanka. Unfortunately, designated opener Zak Crawley will miss the series due to a fracture on his right little finger, which he sustained during England’s third Test against the West Indies.
Seamer Dillon Pennington will also be absent after suffering a hamstring injury while playing for the Northern Superchargers in The Hundred competition. Pennington had been part of England’s squad for their series against the West Indies last month. England’s Test captain Ben Stokes was impressed with Pennington’s performance and stated that he would be “ready to go” if needed against Sri Lanka. Pennington has been a standout player in the County Championship, taking 31 wickets at an average of 23.80 in eight appearances for Nottinghamshire.
Due to the absence of Crawley and Pennington, Jordan Cox and Olly Stone have been called up to the Test team. Cox, a middle-order batter for Essex, was part of England’s white-ball setup during their tour of Pakistan last year. He has been the leading run-scorer for Essex in this season’s County Championship, with 763 runs at an average of 69.36, including three centuries. Stone, a speedster for Nottinghamshire, returns to the England lineup for the first time since 2021. He has played three Tests, taking 10 wickets at an average of 19.4.
England Squad
| Player |
|---|
| Ben Stokes (c) |
| Gus Atkinson |
| Shoaib Bashir |
| Harry Brook |
| Jordan Cox |
| Ben Duckett |
| Dan Lawrence |
| Ollie Pope |
| Matthew Potts |
| Joe Root |
| Jamie Smith |
| Olly Stone |
| Chris Woakes |
| Mark Wood |
Doubts Revealed
Zak Crawley -: Zak Crawley is a cricketer who plays for the England national team. He is known for being a good batsman.
Dillon Pennington -: Dillon Pennington is another cricketer from England. He is a fast bowler, which means he throws the ball very quickly to try and get the batsman out.
Jordan Cox -: Jordan Cox is a young cricketer from England. He is a wicketkeeper-batsman, which means he catches the ball behind the stumps and also bats.
Olly Stone -: Olly Stone is a cricketer who plays for England. He is a fast bowler, known for his speed and ability to take wickets.
Ben Stokes -: Ben Stokes is the captain of the England cricket team. He is an all-rounder, which means he is good at both batting and bowling.
County Championship -: The County Championship is a cricket competition in England. Teams from different counties (regions) in England play against each other.
Joe Root -: Joe Root is a very famous cricketer from England. He is known for being one of the best batsmen in the world.
Harry Brook -: Harry Brook is a young cricketer from England. He is a batsman, which means his main job is to score runs for the team.
Chris Woakes -: Chris Woakes is a cricketer from England. He is an all-rounder, which means he can both bat and bowl well.