England adds Pope and Lawrence to Test squad for Pakistan series

England announced a 16-man squad for the first two Tests against Pakistan, recalling Surrey batsmen Ollie Pope and Dan Lawrence after impressive domestic seasons. Lawrence, who last played a Test in September 2024, leads Division One scoring with 788 runs at 65.66, while Pope has amassed 510 runs at 56.66. Jacob Bethell is sidelined for the series due to a knee injury, and Jordan Cox will fill the vacant number-three spot.

Joe Root will captain the side for the first time since his reappointment in July, with Marcus Trescothick serving as interim head coach until Stephen Fleming assumes the role in December. The squad also brings back seamer Sam Cook and all-rounder Brydon Carse, and retains spinner Shoaib Bashir from earlier matches.