England recall Cook, Ollie Pope for Pakistan series as post 'Bazball' era begins under Joe Root
Ollie Pope, Dan Lawrence and Sam Cook have all returned to the Test squad, while Jordan Cox is also back and is expected to bat at No. 3, according to The Guardian. Cox gets the opportunity after Jacob Bethell was ruled out of the series with an injury.
England have announced their 16-member squad for the first two Tests against Pakistan, marking the start of a new era under captain Joe Root and interim head coach Marcus Trescothick. This comes after the retirement of Ben Stokes and the departure of head coach Brendon McCullum. The squad includes Ollie Pope, Dan Lawrence, and Sam Cook, who have all returned to the Test side, with Jordan Cox expected to bat at No. 3 following Jacob Bethell's injury.
The first Test begins at Headingley on August 19. England will be without a genuine all-rounder following Stokes' retirement, with Shoaib Bashir as their main spin option. Lawrence's recall is driven by his batting abilities and off-spin, allowing England to field four frontline fast bowlers.
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Also reported by 1 other outlet
- Ollie Pope dines out on Test recall cricinfo.com
