England have announced a slimmed-down squad of 12 for the first Test of the summer against New Zealand at Lord's, delaying a decision on whether to hand Hampshire fast bowler Sonny Baker his Test debut. The move mirrors the approach taken during the first Ashes Test last November, when England named a 12-man squad before opting for Mark Wood's pace over Shoaib Bashir.
Selection Dependent on Weather
England's final XI will be determined by weather forecasts, with Baker likely to be preferred over Gus Atkinson if the weekend forecast is clear. Brendon McCullum, the England coach, explained: "We've got a very good idea of the XI we want. But we want to see how the weather plays out, and we'll work out whether we want the extra air speed if all of a sudden it becomes 35C and flattens out. Or we stick to what's tried and tested at Lord's and remain with more of the type of bowlers that'll extract some movement with some overhead conditions."
Spinner Confirmed
Shoaib Bashir has been confirmed as the team's frontline spinner, ahead of Rehan Ahmed. Jacob Bethell is fit after a finger injury and can also bowl if required. The squad includes Ben Stokes (c), Gus Atkinson, Sonny Baker, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Ben Duckett, Emilio Gay, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wk), and Josh Tongue.
Atkinson's Record at Lord's
Atkinson has an impressive record at Lord's, taking 19 wickets at an average of 10.94 in two previous Tests, and also scoring a century against Sri Lanka in 2024. McCullum praised Baker's potential: "It's that airspeed from him. He's quick. I think he's going to be a cricketer that the country really gets behind too when he does play. He charges in, he leaves everything out there. Some guys have a bit more rhythmical component to their style. I think Sonny is full noise. He's an exciting proposition and if it's not in this Test his time will come."
Baker made his T20 and ODI debuts last summer with mixed results, but his raw pace has caught the attention of the England management. The final decision will be made with the benefit of the latest weather forecasts, ensuring England field the best possible XI for the conditions.
