Ollie Pope will captain and Harry Brook will be the vice-captain after the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), on August 19, announced England’s playing XI for the first of the three Tests against Sri Lanka. The first Test will begin on August 21 at Old Trafford in Manchester.
Ben Stokes suffered a hamstring injury while playing for the Northern Superchargers in The Men’s Hundred, forcing him to miss the entire series.
Stokes, who plays for the Northern Superchargers, was forced to retire injured during the pursuit against the Manchester Originals. He was helped off the field by individuals on each side while clutching his left hamstring, and he was later seen wandering around with crutches after the game.
Apart from Ollie Pope, who will captain, Harry Brook will serve as vice-captain. Also, opener Zak Crawley will miss the three-Test series due to a broken finger.
When it comes to playing Test cricket, the two teams are in stark contrast. the Englishmen recently won a Test series against the West Indies. Sri Lanka last played Test cricket in April 2024. The Lankans are ranked fourth, while the hosts are ranked seventh in this Test series.
Sri Lanka’s home game will undoubtedly put them to the test, and this is England’s greatest chance to climb the rankings and maybe remain in the top three. They now have 57 points, and a series win will help them draw closer to Australia and India.
Dan Lawrence and Matthew Potts named in the England XI
With Zak Crawley and Ben Stokes out injured, the England board has named Dan Lawrence as a replacement at the opening position. On the other hand, Matthew Potts returns to the side for the first time since June 2023 in place of Ben Stokes.
Ben Duckett will partner Lawrence at the top with Joe Root following Pope at the no.4 spot. Harry Brook and Jamie Smith complete the batting order. Chris Woakes will lead the pace attack along with Mark Wood. They will have Gus Atkinson for support along with Potts. Shoaib Bashir remains the lone spinner in the side.
Two changes 🔄
We've named our XI for the first Test against Sri Lanka 🏏#ENGvSL | #EnglandCricket
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 19, 2024
England Playing XI For First Test: Dan Lawrence, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (captain), Joe Root, Harry Brook (vice-captain), Jamie Smith (wicketkeeper), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Matthew Potts, Mark Wood, Shoaib Bashir.
Also Read: South Africa Aim Maiden WTC Final After 0-1 Series Win vs West Indies