Surrey players Ollie Pope and Dan Lawrence have been recalled to the England squad for the initial two Tests against Pakistan. The pair are part of a 16-man squad for the series opener at Headingley on Wednesday, 19 August.
Jacob Bethell will not participate in the series due to a knee injury sustained during the ODI series against India in July. Jordan Cox, who made his Test debut against New Zealand, is set to replace Bethell at number three.
Joe Root will lead the side as captain, a role he was reappointed to in July. Marcus Trescothick will serve as interim head coach, with Stephen Fleming, the permanent replacement for Brendon McCullum, starting his tenure in December against South Africa.
Dan Lawrence, whose last Test cap was in September 2024, has been rewarded for his domestic form, having scored 788 runs in the County Championship Division One. Ollie Pope also returns after performing well in the County Championship, scoring 510 runs for Surrey.
England's men's national selector, Marcus North, stated that the squad balances rising talent with experience against a quality Pakistan team. Sam Cook and Brydon Carse also return to the squad, while spinner Shoaib Bashir is retained.