- Jimmy Anderson plays his last match for England in the first test match
- England have decided to bring in some new faces to take on the West Indies
- Uncapped Jamie Smith, Dillon Pennington and Gus Atkinson make up the squad
Jimmy Anderson’s retirement from international cricket will coincide with a new beginning for the England Test team after the decision was made to field the inexperienced Jamie Smith behind the stumps.
Anderson, who wins his 188th and final Test cap three weeks before his 42nd birthday, will be joined by Smith in the team that takes on the West Indies at Lord’s from July 10. Smith has been chosen as wicketkeeper in place of his Surrey teammate Ben Foakes.
England have opted to select a player who will not even keep a wicket for his county in four-day cricket, after alternating between Foakes and Jonny Bairstow in that role for the first two years of the Bazball era.
Both struggled to establish themselves with the bat, as 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 audacious ball-playing skills suit England’s attacking mantra – he averages 50.7 in the County Championship and has hit 24 league sixes in the Vitality Blast this season.
It is a further indication following Anderson’s departure that England are turning their thoughts to 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 match of the summer against the 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) joined England on their tour of India earlier this year but did not play. He could be ready to make his Test debut this summer after being reinstated in the squad
The appointment of a 14-man squad to attend both matches at Lord’s and Trent Bridge has also opened up the opportunity for two debuting pace bowlers, Dillon Pennington and Gus Atkinson, to join Anderson, who has made 700 in a stellar Test career , hunting for wickets.
“The first Test of the summer is always a special moment, but it will be extra special because it is Jimmy’s last Test before he retires,” said Rob Key, the managing director of England men’s cricket.
‘Since his Test debut in 2003, he has given everything to the sport. We all wish him the very best as he makes his final appearance for England at Lord’s.’
Pennington has excelled since switching from Worcestershire to Nottinghamshire, where he succeeded Stuart Broad with the new ball and racked up 29 Championship casualties.
Atkinson, a year older than Pennington at 26, has taken 14 wickets for leaders Surrey and was an unused member of the team during the tour of India.
Chris Woakes, the star of the series in last year’s thrilling Ashes, returns to his homeland after his troubles abroad led to his absence from the group sent to the subcontinent. The only spinner selected is Shoaib Bashir.
Shoaib Bashir (pictured) has retained the confidence of the selection committee despite a difficult season spent on loan
Dan Lawrence (pictured) recently hit Bashir for five sixes in an over and is aiming for a top six batting spot
Although the 20-year-old Bashir struggled to play this summer and was forced onto loan at Worcestershire due to the presence of the more experienced Jack Leach at Somerset, England’s selectors have retained faith in a player who has struggled again when he has featured.
Last year he was given a place on the winter tour despite taking just 10 first-class wickets at 67 apiece. This time he has just six at 76.83, and came under a crushing onslaught from Dan Lawrence – also named in this selection and himself a useful spin option – in Worcestershire’s match against Surrey last week.
Lawrence launched Bashir for five consecutive sixes at New Road in a spell that cost 38 runs, but the off-spinner showed 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, Lord’s
2nd Test: England v West Indies, July 18-22, Trent Bridge
3rd Test: England v West Indies, July 26-30, Edgbaston