Essex batter Dan Lawrence has been selected in England’s 15-strong squad for a two-match Test tour of New Zealand starting in February.
Lawrence was last seen in an England shirt when he was an ever-present during England’s tour of the West Indies in March, making his highest score of 91 in the second Test at the Kensington Oval.
He has experienced facing New Zealand at the highest level, featuring in two Test matches against the opposition in June 2021. In the second Test he made 81 not out, his highest score in Test matches until the 91 against the West Indies.
England Men’s Test squad:
Ben Stokes (Durham)
James Anderson (Lancashire)
Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire)
Harry Brook (Yorkshire)
Zak Crawley (Kent)
Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire)
Ben Foakes (Surrey)
Will Jacks (Surrey)
Dan Lawrence (Essex)
Jack Leach (Somerset)
Ollie Pope (Surrey)
Matthew Potts (Durham)
Ollie Robinson (Sussex)
Joe Root (Yorkshire)
Olly Stone (Nottinghamshire)
Seamers Stuart Broad, Matthew Potts and Essex batter Dan Lawrence are returning to the Test squad.
Nottinghamshire quick Olly Stone, who last played for England in June 2021 against New Zealand, will be looking to add to his three Test caps.
Durham fast bowler Mark Wood, who was impressive in the recent 3-0 victory over Pakistan, will take a break from all international and franchise cricket in January to fully recover after a busy winter in all formats. He is expected to tour Bangladesh in March, where England will play three ODIS and three IT20s.
Leg spinner Rehan Ahmed, as part of his management for this winter, will go to the UAE T20 League in January with a view to joining up with the white-ball team in Bangladesh if selected in March.
Yorkshire and England batter Joe Root will play a handful of matches in the UAE T20 League ahead of the tour to New Zealand. He will then have a short break before joining up with the Test team. We believe this is the best way to enhance his game ahead of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in India in the autumn of 2023.
Those players involved in the ODI series in South Africa – Harry Brook, Ben Duckett, Olly Stone and Will Jacks, who is playing in the South Africa T20 League – will fly directly to join the squad in New Zealand following the conclusion of that series.
England Men’s Test Tour of New Zealand
08-09 February: 11am start: NZ XI v England, Seddon Park, Hamilton (Two-day warm-up, red-ball)
10-11 February: 2pm start: NZ XI v England, Seddon Park, Hamilton (Two-day warm-up, pink-ball)
16-20 February: 2pm start: New Zealand v England, Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui (First Test, pink-ball)
24-28 February: 11am start: New Zealand v England, Basin Reserve, Wellington (Second Test, red-ball)
