London, Nov 9 (IANS) England have handed uncapped left-arm spinner Liam Patterson-White his first Test call-up for next month’s three-match series against South Africa. Batting all-rounder Jacob Bethell returns to the England Test squad after recovering from a knee injury.
Patterson-White and Bethell are the only two changes from the side that swept Pakistan 3-0 at the end of England’s home summer. The series against South Africa, the current ICC World Test Championship winners, will start in Johannesburg on December 17 and is also Stephen Fleming’s first assignment as England’s Test head coach.
Bethell is currently with England’s white-ball squad in Australia and will join the Test group straight after the fourth T20I in Sydney on November 29. Patterson-White’s selection comes after he had a fine season for Nottinghamshire. He claimed 42 County Championship wickets at 25.11, the most by any spinner in Division One, and also made a century.
He was handed an ECB development contract last month and has now moved ahead of Shoaib Bashir and Rehan Ahmed, who have been named in the England Lions squads instead. The Test squad has no specialist spinner and Patterson-White will be supported by the part-time spin bowling from captain Joe Root, Dan Lawrence and Bethell.
The selectors have also looked past Somerset’s Jack Leach, another left-arm spinner who played the last of his 39 Tests in October 2024. Pacer Josh Tongue, who was ruled out of the white-ball trip in Australia due to a toe injury, will miss the first Test to be present for the birth of his second child, while Sam Curran is unavailable due to his wedding.
“We have selected a strong and balanced squad that is ready for the challenge of facing a South African team that are ICC Test world champions and who returned to the top of the ICC Test rankings following their recent 2-1 series win over Australia.
“There are two changes to the squad that defeated Pakistan 3-0 at the end of the home summer with Liam Patterson-White earning his debut call-up while Jacob Bethell returns from a knee injury,” said England chief selector Marcus North in a statement.
Meanwhile, fast bowler Brydon Carse has been named in both Lions squads and could be called up as cover to the Test team. Carse has been out of England reckoning since an incident in Derby in August, when he was handcuffed by police outside a nightclub.
Derbyshire Police have since wrapped up their inquiry into a potential assault. However, the Cricket Regulator has charged Carse, and a verdict is yet to be delivered. Carse turned out for Durham and has remained available for selection throughout.
The Test and England Lions squads were selected when Fleming travelled to Perth last week and met Rob Key, managing director of England men’s cricket, North and men’s performance director Ed Barney.
Six members of the Test squad who are not part of the white-ball tour – Sam Cook, Emilio Gay, Lawrence, Patterson-White, Ollie Robinson and Jamie Smith – will travel early with the Lions for a preparation camp in Pietermaritzburg starting from November 25.
Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Sonny Baker, Ben Duckett and Root will return home after the ODI series in Australia and then fly to South Africa on December 2. Harry Brook and Jordan Cox will travel with Bethell straight from Sydney after the fourth T20I. England will also play a warm-up match against a CSA XI at Kingsmead in Durban from December 9 to 11.
Following the series opener in Johannesburg, the second Test will be played at Centurion Park from December 26, and the third Test to be staged at Newlands in Cape Town from January 3 to 7. England Lions, who will be in South Africa from November 26 to December 21, will play three 50-over matches and two four-day games against South Africa A.
The 50-over games are in Pietermaritzburg on December 1 and at Boland Park in Paarl on December 4 and 6. The four-day matches are at the Tuks Cricket Oval in Pretoria from December 10 to 13 and at Willowmoore Park in Benoni from December 18 to 21.
“We have also selected a strong England Lions squad, who will fly out to South Africa on November 25 for a preparation camp before three 50-over matches and two first-class games. Those players will benefit from experiencing South African conditions and ensure we have players who are fit and ready should they be required for the Test series,” added North.
England Test squad: Joe Root (captain), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Sonny Baker, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Sam Cook, Jordan Cox, Ben Duckett, Emilio Gay, Dan Lawrence, Liam Patterson-White, Ollie Robinson, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue.
England Lions red-ball squad: Shoaib Bashir, Brydon Carse, James Coles, Mason Crane, Henry Crocombe, Matthew Fisher, Jack Haynes, George Hill, Eddie Jack, Ben Mayes, Ben McKinney, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, James Rew, Thomas Rew, Mitch Stanley, Olly Stone, Asa Tribe.
England Lions 50-over squad: Rehan Ahmed, Brydon Carse, Mason Crane, Adam Finch, Matthew Fisher, Calvin Harrison, Jack Haynes, George Hill, Ben Mayes, Ben McKinney, Ollie Pope, James Rew, Naavya Sharma, Ekansh Singh, Asa Tribe.
–IANS
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