On Tuesday, England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced their 15-man squad for the two-match Test series against New Zealand scheduled to start at Lord’s from June 2.
England excluded a few players – Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Sam Curran, Chris Woakes and Jos Buttler – who had participated in the fourteenth edition of the stalled Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 to give them proper rest after their quarantine pe𝔉riod.
Eminent cricketers like Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer were also snubbed due to their injuries. While Stokes wounded his finger during the cash-rich league, Archer’s elbow injury resurfaced while representing Sussex in the County Championship.
Two new faces, namely wicket-keeper batsman James Bracey and pacer Ollie Robinson have earned their maiden call-ups to the Test squad backed by good performances in the County Championship for Gloucestershire and Sussex, respectively.
In an official statement, England’s head coach Chris Silverwood pointed out that playing against the Black Caps followed by a five-match Test series against India will be the perfect preparation fꦉor their Ashes Tour later this year.
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