Aug 6 (Reuters) - England handed Jordan Cox the number three spot in place of the injured Jacob Bethell for the first two tests of the three-match series against Pakistan later this month, while Joe Root will captain the side on a permanent basis for the first time since 2022.
Root, who returns to lead the side after being appointed test captain last month, will work alongside interim head coach Marcus Trescothick before Stephen Fleming takes charge after the series.
The 16-man squad includes a recall for Dan Lawrence, who returns to the test setup for the first time since his appearance against Sri Lanka in 2024 and is set to bat at number six after an impressive County Championship campaign.
Cox, who made his test debut against New Zealand in June, gets the nod after Bethell was ruled out of the series with a knee injury sustained during England's one-day international series against India last month.
Sam Cook retains his place after making his test debut against Zimbabwe last year, while Brydon Carse and Ollie Pope return to the squad after being absent since England's Ashes defeat in Australia earlier this year.
"We have selected a squad for the first two Tests that balances rising talent with the experience needed against a quality Pakistan team," England Men's national selector Marcus North said.
Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Josh Tongue and Ollie Robinson headline England's pace-bowling options for the series, which begins at Headingley on August 19.
SQUAD
Joe Root (captain), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Sam Cook, Jordan Cox, Ben Duckett, Matthew Fisher, Emilio Gay, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Jamie Smith and Josh Tongue.
(Reporting by Suramya Kaushik in Bengaluru; Editing by Toby Chopra)
