England have named three uncapped players and recalled 38-year-old Gareth Batty for their Test series in Bangladesh next month.
Batty, the Surrey captain and Standard Sport columnist, turns 39 on October 13 and is pushing to play his first Test since 2005. Batty is one of four slow bowlers in the squad.
Batty’s county colleague, left-arm spinner Zafar Ansari, is one of the trio of international novices included in the 17-man party. Ben Duckett, the Northamptonshire batsman who has scored more than 2,000 runs in all forms of domestic cricket this summer, has made the cut along with Lancashire opener Haseeb Hameed.
The 19-year-old Hameed is likely to become captain Alastair Cook’s latest partner at the top of the order, after Alex Hales made himself unavailable for the trip. Jos Buttler also makes the Test squad as reserve wicketkeeper but will captain the one-day team in the absence of Eoin Morgan who, like Hales, decided not to travel because of security fears.
Joe Root has been rested for the three 50-over matches that precede the two Tests. James Vince was dropped from the Test squad but has retained his place for the white-ball matches, while Kent’s Sam Billings has also been brought back after missing out against Sri Lanka and Pakistan in one-day cricket during the summer.
Paul Farbrace will miss the Bangladesh Tests, with Worcestershire coach Steve Rhodes joining the set-up, and Ottis Gibsonm the current fast bowling coach, deputising for Farbrace as Trevor Bayliss’ assistant.
