London: England included the uncapped pair of opening batsman Alex Hales and off-spinning all-rounder Zafar Ansari in a 16-man Test squad announced Tuesday for their upcoming three-match series against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates.
Hales, who has played white-ball cricket for England, was brought into the Test squad after Adam Lyth was dropped.
Despite impressing for county champions Yorkshire and scoring a hundred in his second Test against New Zealand at his Headingley home ground, Lyth averaged just 12.77 after playing in all five matches of England’s 3-2 Ashes series win.
Hales, who struggled for runs during England’s recent 3-2 one-day series loss at home to world champions Australia, will compete with Moeen Ali to fill the vacant spot alongside Test captain Alastair Cook at the top of the order. James Taylor has been recalled to Test duty after playing his only two matches in the five-day format against South Africa in 2012.
Taylor’s inclusion meant there was no place in the Test squad for Gary Ballance, dropped two games into the Ashes.
Pace-bowling all-rounder Ben Stokes has been included in the Test squad but rested from both the one-day and Twenty20 parties after an ever-present campaign in all three international formats during the English season.
England’s backroom staff, headed up by Australian coach Trevor Bayliss, has two recruits in former one-day skipper Paul Collingwood and recently retired Sri Lanka batting great Mahela Jayawardene, with both men taking consultancy roles. Jayawardene will work with the Test batsmen until the end of the first Test against Pakistan, while Collingwood, previously involved as a part-time England coach, will assist the limited-overs group in the UAE, where pitches are renowned for aiding spin. Andrew Strauss, England’s managing director, said: “We are delighted that Mahela and Paul will be joining the England management team, supporting our existing specialist coaches in this area. England arrive in the UAE on September 30 before facing Pakistan in three Tests, four one-day internationals and three Twenty20s. (AFP)
