England Recall Ollie Robinson and Introduce New Faces for New Zealand Test
England have ended Ollie Robinson's two-year absence from international cricket and included uncapped players Emilio Gay, James Rew, and Sonny Baker in the squad for the first Test against New Zealand at Lord's, starting 4 June. This selection follows England's disappointing 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia.
Sussex fast bowler Robinson, 32, last played a Test against India in 2024 and was dropped after that series. England are now looking to him to lead the bowling attack. Meanwhile, opener Zak Crawley has been omitted from the squad for the first time since Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum took charge of the Test team in 2022, due to his underwhelming performance during the Ashes tour.
Durham's 26-year-old Emilio Gay is expected to fill Crawley's opening spot. Gay, a specialist opener, holds an advantage over fellow left-hander James Rew, 22, who has been asked to open for Somerset but is more commonly a middle-order batsman.
Shoaib Bashir has been named in the squad despite not featuring in the Ashes series and will compete with Rehan Ahmed for the spinner's role. Leg-spinner Ahmed could make his home Test debut.
England have also appointed Australian Marcus North as the new national selector. North, currently Durham's director of cricket, replaces Luke Wright, who stepped down for personal reasons after the Ashes. North becomes the first foreigner to chair England's selection panel.
Robinson's Return and Bowling Lineup
The most notable aspect of North's first squad announcement is the recall of Ollie Robinson amid the rebuilding of England's pace attack following the retirements of Stuart Broad, James Anderson, and Chris Woakes in recent years.
Robinson boasts an impressive Test record with 76 wickets at an average below 23 across 20 matches. He was once regarded as the natural successor to Anderson and Broad but was dropped after the 2024 India tour due to concerns including fitness issues. Robinson suffered back injuries in his last two Tests, against Australia at Headingley in 2023 and India in Ranchi in 2024.
Despite these setbacks, Robinson remains one of England's premier seamers and is expected to bring much-needed competitiveness to the bowling attack. He was approached by England management at the start of the season and has captained Sussex to three wins in five matches, taking 17 wickets and scoring a century against Surrey.
Robinson joins Josh Tongue, Gus Atkinson, Matthew Fisher, and 23-year-old Sonny Baker in the pace group. Jofra Archer is currently playing in the Indian Premier League and is expected to be available from the second Test onwards, while Brydon Carse is recovering from a broken wrist.
Josh Tongue impressed during the Ashes series. Gus Atkinson is included despite recently suffering a concussion caused by Tongue during Surrey's County Championship match against Nottinghamshire. Matthew Fisher, 28, who was part of the Ashes squad, could add to his single Test cap earned against the West Indies in 2022. Baker, though talented, had challenging white-ball international debuts last year but has started the season strongly with Hampshire.
Batting Changes and Squad Composition
Zak Crawley's exclusion was anticipated given his inconsistent performances. No Test opener has had as many innings as Crawley's 104 while maintaining an average below his 30.52. Emilio Gay is favored to open alongside Ben Duckett at Lord's after scoring three centuries for Durham early in the season.
If selected, Gay will become a dual international, having previously played three T20 matches for Italy. He has also declined an approach from the West Indies.
James Rew, despite his youth, has already scored 12 first-class centuries. Although usually a middle-order batsman, England have asked him to open for Somerset. In his first opening innings against Glamorgan, he scored four and zero, suggesting he may need to wait for opportunities behind the established middle order comprising Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook, captain Ben Stokes, and wicketkeeper Jamie Smith.
Post-Ashes Review and Preparations
Following the Ashes series, which was marred by poor on-field performances and off-field issues, England conducted a review. Director of cricket Rob Key, coach Brendon McCullum, and captain Ben Stokes retained their positions.
The squad will convene for a training camp at Loughborough on 22 May, a week before the first Test against New Zealand.
England Squad for First Test vs New Zealand
Ben Stokes, Rehan Ahmed, Gus Atkinson, Sonny Baker, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Ben Duckett, Matthew Fisher, Emilio Gay, James Rew, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue.
