Surrey’s Gus Atkinson has been selected as part of England’s 16-player squad for the five-test series against India which starts next months. Atkinson is joined by England’s vice-captain Ollie Pope and the returning Ben Foakes
Atkinson claimed 20 wickets from five County Championship matches last summer as Surrey claimed back-to-back titles.
Ben Foakes has been recalled to the squad following an incredible summer for the Three Feathers. Foakes scored 716 runs at an average of 39.77 while claiming 55 catches and a stumping with the gloves.
England vice-captain Ollie Pope returns to the England Test squad following the shoulder injury sustained in the second Ashes Test at Lord’s. Pope is currently in the West Indies as part of England’s white-ball squad. Pope scored 379 runs from eight innings at an average of 54:14, including a mesmerising 122 not out to help Surrey to victory over Hampshire in April.
Gus Atkinson is one of three uncapped players in the squad. He is joined by Guildford CC spin bowler Shoaib Bashir (Somerset) and Lancashire spinner Tom Hartley.
Hartley and Bashir were both part of the England Lions squad that trained in the United Arab Emirates last month. They were joined in the UAE by vice-captain Ollie Pope and Jack Leach to step up their preparations as they return to Test duty following injury.
Leicestershire’s teenage leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed returns to the Test squad after claiming a five-wicket haul on his Test debut in Pakistan last December.
England Men’s full squad for Test tour of India
Ben Stokes (Durham – captain)
Rehan Ahmed (Leicestershire)
James Anderson (Lancashire)
Gus Atkinson (Surrey)
Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire)
Shoaib Bashir (Somerset)
Harry Brook (Yorkshire)
Zak Crawley (Kent)
Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire)
Ben Foakes (Surrey)
Tom Hartley (Lancashire)
Jack Leach (Somerset)
Ollie Pope (Surrey)
Ollie Robinson (Sussex)
Joe Root (Yorkshire)
Mark Wood (Durham)
1st Test: India v England, 25-29 January, Hyderabad
2nd Test: India v England, 2-6 February, Vizag
3rd Test: India v England, 15-19 February, Rajkot
4th Test: India v England, 23-27 February, Ranchi
5th Test: India v England, 7-11 March, Dharamsala
