England Set To Start Key Year With Callow Attack

England look group to statesman a defining twelvemonth pinch 1 of their astir inexperienced gait attacks successful nan past 2 decades erstwhile nan squad for nan Test against Zimbabwe is named connected Friday.

The England level person identified nan gait section arsenic cardinal to their occurrence successful marquee bid against India and Australia, but a number of seamers will beryllium unavailable for nan one-off Test against nan Zimbabweans.

England's 2 astir knowledgeable pacemen, Mark Wood and Chris Woakes, are retired injured, while location will beryllium constricted expectations for skipper Ben Stokes' workload pursuing hamstring surgery.

The onslaught will beryllium led by Gus Atkinson, who had not made his Test debut this clip past twelvemonth and has 11 caps. He is apt to beryllium joined successful nan squad by Matthew Potts (10 caps), Josh Tongue (two) and uncapped Essex man Sam Cook.

A operation successful nan XI of Atkinson, Tongue and Cook would person 13 caps betwixt them. Not since Zimbabwe's past Test successful this state 22 years agone has England's gait onslaught looked truthful callow astatine home, erstwhile Steve Harmison, James Anderson and Richard Johnson had a mixed 7 caps.

Indeed, England person played only 1 location Test without immoderate of Woakes, Anderson aliases Stuart Broad successful nan past 18 years.

Although Zimbabwe are improving – they person conscionable earned a creditable 1-1 bid tie successful Bangladesh – England will beryllium overwhelming favourites to triumph nan four-day Test erstwhile it originates connected 22 May.

Following that, nan five-match bid astatine location to India and nan Ashes distant successful Australia this wintertime will style nan activity legacies of Stokes, coach Brendon McCullum and head of cricket Rob Key.

Woakes has not played yet this play because of an ankle problem, while Wood is retired until July pursuing knee surgery.

Brydon Carse remains sidelined pinch a ft problem and Olly Stone will not play earlier nan backmost extremity of nan summertime aft his ain knee operation. Ollie Robinson, who has won 20 Test caps, has not played for England successful much than a twelvemonth and mislaid his cardinal statement successful October.

All-rounder Stokes, pinch 210 Test wickets, has much scalps than immoderate different progressive England bowler, though his bowling is apt to beryllium restricted. An wounded sustained successful nan 3rd Test against New Zealand successful December was nan 2nd clip successful 5 months nan talismanic skipper had wounded his near hamstring.

Stokes will look to build his bowling successful nan run-up to nan India series, erstwhile England will dream to person Woakes and Carse available. Jofra Archer could play his first red-ball crippled successful 4 years for England Lions against India A successful June. Speaking connected Wednesday, Wood did not norm retired a return for nan conclusion of nan India series.

For now, Atkinson will lead nan onslaught pursuing his stunning debut twelvemonth successful Test cricket while Potts played successful England's past Test successful New Zealand.

Tongue has not played for England for 2 years because of injuries but has enjoyed a superb commencement to nan play pinch Nottinghamshire.

Cook, 27, has been nan outstanding bowler successful home cricket for immoderate time, grabbing 318 first-class wickets astatine an mean nether 20.

He is not blessed pinch precocious gait and has had to hold for his chance, yet an denotation an England call-up was connected nan sky came erstwhile it was requested he beryllium rested from Essex's Championship lucifer against Somerset past month.

If England consciousness they want further gait screen successful nan squad, it could travel from 20-year-old left-armer Josh Hull, who made his Test debut past summer, aliases Hampshire's breathtaking imaginable Sonny Baker. Baker has played only 3 first-class matches but was fixed an England improvement statement successful February.

Other areas of action look much straightforward. Jamie Smith will return down nan stumps aft missing nan circuit of New Zealand connected paternity leave, while location is nary proposal Shoaib Bashir's spot arsenic nan number 1 spinner is nether threat.

Any decisions complete nan apical 5 will beryllium delayed by Jacob Bethell's stint astatine nan Indian Premier League. If batting screen is required, Jordan Cox has recovered from nan surgery thumb that prevented his debut successful New Zealand and Durham opener Ben McKinney is highly rated.