England has announced their squad for the upcoming Ashes series in Australia, with a surprise inclusion of Will Jacks as a backup spinner to Shoaib Bashir. Harry Brook has been appointed as the new vice-captain, taking over from Ollie Pope. Pope, who has led England in Stokes’ absence, faces competition for his No.3 position from Jacob Bethell.
Will Jacks, who last played Tests in Pakistan three years ago, has been recalled after taking six wickets and scoring 89 runs in his previous matches. The 16-member squad features a strong pace-bowling lineup, including the return of Matthew Potts due to Chris Woakes’ injury and Jamie Overton’s retirement.
The pace attack will be led by Mark Wood and Jofra Archer, supported by Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, and Josh Tongue. England plans to rotate their seamers to manage injury risks. Ben Stokes, still recovering from a shoulder injury, is expected to play a crucial role in the series.
Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett will open the innings, with Joe Root batting at four. Jamie Smith will continue as the wicketkeeper after an impressive start to his Test career, averaging 48.86 with two centuries in 15 matches.
The complete Ashes squad includes Ben Stokes (captain), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook (vice-captain), Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue, and Mark Wood.