England name 17-man squad for Pakistan Test series starting October 7

Captain Ben Stokes included as he recovers from a hamstring injury that ruled him out of Sri Lanka series

The England Men's Cricket selection panel has named a 17-man squad for the upcoming three-match Test series against Pakistan, scheduled for October 7.

England captain Ben Stokes is included in the squad as he continues his recovery from a hamstring injury that sidelined him during the recent Test series victory against Sri Lanka.

Returning to the Test setup are spinners Rehan Ahmed and Jack Leach, both expected to play key roles on Pakistan’s spin-friendly pitches.

Notably, eight members of the squad—Rehan Ahmed, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, and Ben Stokes—were part of the team that achieved a historic 3-0 series victory in Pakistan in 2022.

Durham pacer Brydon Carse and Essex batter Jordan Cox will be making their Test debuts. Jack Leach returns to the squad for the first time since the opening Test against India in January 2024, while Rehan Ahmed, who debuted during England's previous tour of Pakistan, will look to build on his four Test caps.

Leicestershire seamer Josh Hull, fresh off his Test debut at The Oval, has been named for his first senior tour with England. Kent opener Zak Crawley also returns after missing the West Indies series due to a finger injury sustained in July.

England Squad:

Ben Stokes (C), Rehan Ahmed, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Jordan Cox, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Josh Hull, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes.