- Jimmy Anderson will play his final match for England in the first Test
- England have decided to turn to some fresh faces to take on West Indies
- Uncapped Jamie Smith, Dillon Pennington and Gus Atkinson make the squad
Jimmy Anderson’s farewell to international cricket will coincide with new beginnings for England’s Test team following the decision to turn to the uncapped Jamie Smith behind the stumps.
Anderson, who will win his 188th and final Test cap three weeks shy of his 42nd birthday, will be joined in the XI to face West Indies at Lord’s from July 10 by Smith – chosen as wicketkeeper ahead of his Surrey team-mate Ben Foakes.
England have opted to select a player that does not even keep wicket for his county in four-day cricket after spending the first two years of the Bazball era switching between Foakes and Jonny Bairstow for the role.
Both struggled to assert themselves with the bat, as indeed did the team, in the series defeat to India at the start of the year and the selectors have now overlooked both for a 23-year-old whose bold striking of the ball fits England’s attacking mantra – he averages 50.7 in the County Championship and has struck a competition-high 24 sixes in the Vitality Blast this season.
It is a further indication following the pensioning off of Anderson that England are turning their thoughts towards developing a side that can compete in next year’s Ashes down under.
Jimmy Anderson’s final international match will be England’s first Test of the summer against West Indies at Lord’s
England have named a youthful-looking squad, with Jamie Smith (pictured) in line for his Test debut
Fast bowler Dillon Pennington (pictured) has also been called up for the first time
Gus Atkinson (pictured) went on England’s tour of India earlier this year but did not play. He could be set for his Test debut this summer after making the squad once more
The naming of a 14-man squad to cover both matches at Lord’s and Trent Bridge has also opened up the possibility of two debutant pace bowlers Dillon Pennington and Gus Atkinson hunting for wickets alongside Anderson, who has 700 of them in a stellar Test career.
‘The first Test of the summer is always a special moment, but it will be extra poignant with it being Jimmy’s last Test before he retires,’ said Rob Key, the managing director of England’s men’s cricket.
‘He has given everything to the sport since his Test debut in 2003. We all would like to wish him well as he walks out at Lord’s for the last time for England.’
Pennington has excelled since switching from Worcestershire to Nottinghamshire, where he has succeeded Stuart Broad with the new ball and has claimed 29 top-flight Championship victims.
Atkinson, one year Pennington’s senior at 26, has taken 14 wickets for leaders Surrey and was an unused squad member on the tour of India.
Chris Woakes, man of the series in last year’s thrilling Ashes, returns on home soil after his struggles overseas led to his omission from the party sent to the subcontinent while the sole spinner selected is Shoaib Bashir.
Shoaib Bashir (pictured) has retained the faith of the selectors despite enduring a difficult season that has seen him go out on loan
Dan Lawrence (pictured) hit Bashir for five sixes in an over recently and is pushing for a batting spot in the top six
Although Bashir, 20, has struggled for game time this summer and was forced to go out on loan to Worcestershire due to the presence at Somerset of the more experienced Jack Leach, England’s selectors have retained faith in a player who has once again struggled when he has featured.
Last year, he was handed a winter tour place despite taking just 10 first-class wickets at 67 runs apiece. This time, he has just six at 76.83, and took a mauling at the hands of Dan Lawrence – also named in this squad and proving a useful spin option himself – in Worcestershire’s match against Surrey last week.
Lawrence launched Bashir for five consecutive sixes at New Road in an over that cost 38 runs, but the off-spinner showed an excellent temperament in three Tests over the winter, taking 17 wickets against Rohit Sharma’s team.
Test Series Dates
1st Test: England v West Indies, July 10-14 July, Lord’s
2nd Test: England v West Indies, July 18-22, Trent Bridge
3rd Test: England v West Indies July 26-30, Edgbaston
