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Thursday April 18, 2024

England keep faith with Test squad for West Indies tour

That means no place for Surrey´s Ollie Pope, who was initially selected for Sri Lanka but left early to get game time with the second-tier Lions side, and a reprieve for Kent´s Joe Denly

By AFP
December 10, 2018

LONDON: England kept faith on Monday with the squad that delivered a Test whitewash in Sri Lanka, naming the same 16 players who finished that tour for the series against the West Indies.

That means no place for Surrey´s Ollie Pope, who was initially selected for Sri Lanka but left early to get game time with the second-tier Lions side, and a reprieve for Kent´s Joe Denly.

The uncapped 32-year-old was not required during the 3-0 win but will once again travel as batting cover for the three Tests, ahead of Pope and his overlooked county colleague Jason Roy.

Wicketkeeper Ben Foakes was a late addition in Sri Lanka after an injury to Jonny Bairstow and takes his place as a first-choice pick after collecting man-of-the-series honours.

The 15-man one-day squad also has a familiar look as the countdown to next summer´s World Cup continues.

Left-armer David Willey returns and Mark Wood is included ahead of Olly Stone, who made his bow in Sri Lanka.

Ben Stokes and Alex Hales have both been named in the ODI squad after a disciplinary hearing into their roles in a fight outside a Bristol nightclub in 2017, with all-rounder Stokes also in the Test squad.

"Ben is obviously in all England formats and is one of our leading cricketers in this country," national selector Ed Smith told Sky Sports.

"Alex has been a central part of the white-ball team for a number of years. He´s currently missed out on selection at times but when he´s got his opportunities, he´s taken them.

"So nothing has changed. They are available for selection, they have been selected and that´s the situation -- that´s what is appropriate for me to consider as a selector."

England are due to play three Tests, five one-day internationals and three Twenty20 internationals on their tour of the West Indies, which starts next month.

The T20 squad will be announced at a later date.

Test squad: Joe Root (Yorkshire, capt), Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), Jimmy Anderson (Lancashire), Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Rory Burns (Surrey), Jos Buttler (Lancashire), Sam Curran (Surrey), Joe Denly (Kent), Ben Foakes (Surrey), Keaton Jennings (Lancashire), Jack Leach (Somerset), Adil Rashid (Yorkshire), Ben Stokes (Durham), Olly Stone (Warwickshire), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire)

One-day squad: Eoin Morgan (Middlesex, capt), Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire), Jos Buttler (Lancashire), Tom Curran (Surrey), Joe Denly (Kent), Alex Hales (Nottinghamshire), Liam Plunkett (Surrey), Adil Rashid (Yorkshire), Joe Root (Yorkshire), Jason Roy (Surrey), Ben Stokes (Durham), David Willey (Yorkshire), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire), Mark Wood (Durham)

Fixtures

Jan 15-16, 2019, Warm-up match, Barbados

Jan 17-18, Warm-up match, Barbados

Jan 23-27: 1st Test, West Indies v England, Barbados

Jan 31-Feb 4: 2nd Test, West Indies v England, Antigua

Feb 9-13: 3rd Test, West Indies v England, St Lucia

Feb 17: Warm-up match, Barbados

Feb 20: 1st ODI, West Indies v England, Barbados

Feb 22: 2nd ODI, West Indies v England, Barbados

Feb 25: 3rd ODI, West Indies v England, Grenada

Feb 27: 4th ODI, West Indies v England, Grenada

March 2, 5th ODI, West Indies v England, St Lucia

March 5: 1st IT20, West Indies v England, St Lucia

March 8: 2nd IT20 West Indies v England, St Kitts and Nevis

March 10: 3rd IT20 West Indies v England, St Kitts and Nevis