England on July 27 announced the Ashes squad with Jofra Archer, the England’s World Cup hero, earning his maiden call-up to the Test cricket.
The 14-man squad for the first Ashes Test, starting on 1 August in Birmingham, also saw Ben Stokes being made vice-captain of the squad.
While Archer was rewarded for his recent performances Jack Leach, the player of the match against Ireland was unlucky to miss and he was left out.
Ed Smith, the national selector, indicated England’s thrilling World Cup had influenced squad selection. “Though it is unusual to select a squad of 14 for a home Test, there are compelling reasons to do so here,” he said in a statement. “Several bowlers are recovering from injuries or niggles. In addition, some bowlers who played in the World Cup are being closely monitored to assess their preparation for Test match cricket.
“The wider circumstances – a successful home World Cup campaign followed so quickly by a home Ashes series – are unprecedented. It feels sensible to select an expanded squad and leave a number of bowling options open for the final team selection.”
Squad: Joe Root (c), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes, Olly Stone
With Inputs from ICC
