Uncapped duo Tom Hartley and Shoaib Bashir will form part of a four-pronged spin option for England’s Test team in India in the new year.
Lancashire slow left-armer Hartley and Somerset off-spinner Bashir are joined in the squad by Jack Leach, who returns after injury ruled him out of this summer’s Ashes, and Rehan Ahmed.
There is a return too for wicketkeeper Ben Foakes, who has not featured in the Test team since the drawn series in New Zealand back in February, and another player who has been recovering from injury in Ollie Pope.
Seamer Gus Atkinson, who helped Surrey make it back-to-back County Championship titles this year with 20 wickets in five matches at an average of 20.20, is the third uncapped member of the 16-player squad as well.
Hartley, who has two England ODI caps to his name, has taken 40 first-class wickets at an average of 36.57. Former Surrey youth player Bashir made his first-class debut for Somerset this year and took 10 wickets in his six matches.
Hartley plays for Lancashire
The pair were both part of the England Lions squad that trained in the United Arab Emirates last month, as were vice-captain Pope and Leach as they stepped up their preparations for a return to action.
Leach missed the entire series against Australia in the summer after suffering a stress fracture in his back, while batter Pope suffered a dislocated shoulder which required surgery during the second Test at Lord’s.
Ben Foakes is back in England’s Test squad after not featuring during the summer
For Leicestershire leg-spinner Ahmed, currently involved in England’s white-ball series in the West Indies, it marks a return to the Test squad after claiming a five-wicket haul on his debut in Pakistan last December.
Foakes’ playing time will be determined by whether England opt to revert to him playing as a specialist wicketkeeper or stick with Jonny Bairstow behind the stumps to give them extra batting depth.
England will play five Tests while on tour in India, with the first match getting under way in Hyderabad on Thursday, January 25.
England’s Test tour of India fixtures
Thursday January 25 – Monday January 29 2024: India vs England (First Test), Hyderabad
Friday February 2 – Tuesday February 6 2024: India vs England (Second Test), Visakhapatnam
Thursday February 15 – Monday February 19 2024: India vs England (Third Test), Rajkot
Friday February 23 – Tuesday February 27 2024: India vs England (Fourth Test), Ranchi
Thursday March 7 – Monday March 11 2024: India vs England (Fifth Test), Dharamsala
