England will chase a 3-0 whitewash next week with a group that barely alters the one that has already ripped the series away from Pakistan.
The squad was named on Wednesday, with fast bowler Sonny Baker the one fresh addition. Brydon Carse and Matthew Fisher, both part of the 16-man party for the first two Tests, drop out.
Root’s core stays intact. Harry Brook, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Jordan Cox, Emilio Gay, Dan Lawrence and wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith cover the batting. Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Sam Cook, Ollie Robinson and Josh Tongue lead the seam options, with Shoaib Bashir the only frontline spinner. The 15-man group reflects a summer in which selectors have needed to change very little.
Robinson, promoted into the XI at Lord’s, took four wickets in the second innings and was named Player of the Match as England won by 194 runs. The first Test at Headingley had already been settled by an innings and 103 runs.
Rizwan among seven axed by Pakistan
The Pakistan Cricket Board dropped seven players from the Test squad, including wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan, opener Imam-ul-Haq, who had been carrying an injury out of Lord’s, and all-rounder Salman Ali Agha. Ali Usman, Aamir Jamal, Muhammad Awais Zafar and Khurram Shahzad were also released.
Two members of the coaching staff, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Umar Gul, were let go at the same time. Mike Hesson comes in as head coach and Ashley Noffke joins the backroom staff.
Uncapped batter Saad Baig, left-arm quick Mohammad Imran Jnr, pace all-rounder Mohammad Imran Randhawa and Razaullah were promoted alongside recalls for Saim Ayub, Abdullah Fazal and Arafat Minhas. Babar Azam remains captain.
Trescothick still in interim charge
Edgbaston will be the third and final Test of a series run by interim head coach Marcus Trescothick, with Stephen Fleming’s tenure not due to begin until after the summer. Fleming, the former New Zealand captain and long-serving Chennai Super Kings coach, was appointed in July to succeed Brendon McCullum. Root returned to the captaincy at the same time, taking over after Ben Stokes’s retirement from international cricket.
The Rothesay Test starts on Wednesday 9 September at Edgbaston, with play scheduled through 13 September.
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