Cook In Line For England Debut After Squad Call-up

Essex bowler Sam Cook is successful statement for an England debut aft being named successful nan squad for nan one-off Test against Zimbabwe astatine Trent Bridge.

The 27-year-old, nan outstanding seamer successful home cricket successful caller seasons, gets his chance successful an inexperienced onslaught missing a number of players done injuries.

Chris Woakes, Mark Wood, Brydon Carse and Olly Stone are each absent, while Jofra Archer continues his agelong way backmost to red-ball cricket astatine nan Indian Premier League (IPL).

It intends England statesman a defining twelvemonth of Test cricket, including marquee bid against India and Australia, pinch a fresh-looking gait attack.

Along pinch Cook, Nottinghamshire seamer Josh Tongue returns almost 2 years aft winning nan past of his 2 caps.

Gus Atkinson, who has 11 caps, and Matthew Potts (10) are nan different master seamers successful nan 13-man party.

A apt operation of Atkinson, Tongue and Cook successful nan XI connected 22 May would person 13 caps betwixt them, England's fewest successful nan gait onslaught astatine location since Zimbabwe's past Test successful this state 22 years ago.

England person played only 1 location Test without astatine slightest 1 of Woakes, James Anderson aliases Stuart Broad successful their XI since 2007.

In a squad containing nary surprises, skipper Ben Stokes is fresh to lead aft undergoing hamstring room astatine Christmas.

The lucifer astatine Trent Bridge will beryllium nan all-rounder's first action since suffering nan wounded to his near limb successful nan last Test against New Zealand successful December. There are apt to beryllium limitations connected really overmuch nan 33-year-old will bowl.

Uncapped Essex batter Jordan Cox, who missed retired connected a Test debut successful New Zealand because of a surgery thumb, besides returns to nan squad arsenic screen for nan apical order.

Batter Jacob Bethell impressed successful his first bid successful New Zealand but is astatine nan IPL, truthful opener Zak Crawley and number-three Ollie Pope get nan chance to cement their places. Shoaib Bashir is retained arsenic nan sole spinner.

England person made nary concealed of their desire for bowlers of precocious gait truthful Cook, an 'English style' seamer whose strengths dishonesty successful accuracy and movement, has had to hold for his chance.

The erstwhile Loughborough University student has taken 318 first-class wickets astatine an mean beneath 20 and has played 3 times for England Lions, including connected nan circuit of Australia earlier this year.

Realistically, Cook is competing for 1 spot successful nan first-choice XI pinch Woakes. The Warwickshire man is yet to play this play because of an ankle injury.

Another action would person been Dan Worrall, who played 3 one-day internationals and has now qualified to play for England, but nan Surrey man has been overlooked.

Zimbabwe's past Test successful nan UK was successful 2003, a bid celebrated for nan Test debut of Anderson, England's all-time starring wicket-taker.

England will beryllium overwhelming favourites to triumph astatine Trent Bridge, though nan Zimbabweans person conscionable claimed a creditable 1-1 tie successful Bangladesh. The five-Test bid against India originates connected 20 June astatine Headingley.

Highlights of each England's location world cricket and unrecorded sum of The Hundred will beryllium crossed BBC TV, iPlayer and nan BBC Sport website, opening pinch England women's T20 world against West Indies connected 21 May.