The ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 final hero, Jofra Archer will have to wait for his Test debut as England announces its squad for the first Ashes 2019 test against Australia.
The first Ashes Test marks the start of the ICC World Test Championship, so there will be more than the urn at stake.
The five matches Ashes series between Australia and hosts England begins on Thursday. Both teams go into the Test high on confidence. England, the ODI champions, bounced back strongly after an opening day set-back in the one-off Test against Ireland. Australia are full strength, hungry and well prepared.
Day before the all important opening match the series, England named its playing eleven in it there is no Jofra Archer. It was widely expected that Archer will make his Test debut in the opener but the England has opted to leave him out. The injury James Anderson has been passed fit to play.
England’s XI for the first Test: Rory Burns, Jason Roy, Joe Root (c), Joe Denly, Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Stuart Broad, James Anderson .