England drop Dan Lawrence, name two uncapped players for Pakistan Test series

England selectors take the decision to drop Dan Lawrence – who opened during the recent games with Sri Lanka – for the Test series against Pakistan.

England batsman Dan Lawrence has been dropped from the 17-player squad for the upcoming Test series against Pakistan.

Having had to remain patient for another opportunity with his country, Lawrence was thrust into action for the recent triple-header versus Sri Lanka.

Although England posted a 2-1 series victory, losing the final fixture on Monday, not all of the batting contingent shown enough consistency to guarantee their place for the games that start next month.

Lawrence fell into that category, his three scores in the thirties being undermined by the same amount of single-digit contributions.

His 35 in the second innings against Sri Lanka at the Oval on Sunday was his highest score in his last 13 in all formats, stretching back into July.

With Zak Crawley having recovered from a broken finger, the first-choice opener returns to the fold along with captain Ben Stokes, who has also recently missed out with a hamstring injury.

© Imago

Who are the two Test rookies?

One of two uncapped players is no stranger to international cricket with Brydon Carse having already played in 14 one-day and three T20 matches.

The pace bowler has 15 wickets in the longer format, his best figures of 5-61 coming against Pakistan in 2021, while the 29-year-old also has best figures of 3-23 in the 20-over arena.

Meanwhile, batsman and wicket-keeper Jordan Cox is currently preparing to make his international bow in the T20 series against Australia which begins this week.

Cox, who is 23 years of age, averages 39.92 from 85 first-class appearances, already posting eight centuries with a best of 238*.

Another notable inclusion is that of spin bowler Jack Leach, the 33-year-old having not featured in an England shirt since the first Test against India in January.

Test squad in full:

Ben Stokes, Rehan Ahmed, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Bryson Carse, Jordan Cox, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Josh Hull, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes

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