Spinner Shoaib Bashir and seam bowler Matthew Potts are included in England’s 12-player squad for the fifth Ashes Test against Australia, with Gus Atkinson excluded.
Atkinson was absent due to a hamstring injury, making him the only absentee from the team that won the fourth Test in Melbourne. No. 3 batsman Ollie Pope is out again.
The tourists have already handed over the urn, but after winning a two-day shootout in Melbourne, they hope to cut their losses with back-to-back wins and depart on a 3-2 scoreline.
Potts and Bashir have both been named in the 12-man squad for Sunday’s fifth Test in Sydney, with resources limited by series-ending injuries to Mark Wood, Jofra Archer and Atkinson.
Durham seamer Potts, who will be looking to add to his 10 caps by making his last appearance in December 2024, has an impressive Test record of 36 wickets at 29.44.
The 27-year-old could get a new ball at the SCG, having started bowling regularly for Durham, in a move that would allow Brydon Kearse to return to his more familiar first-change role.
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Despite losing the series, Joe Root says England will look to build on their win against Australia in the fourth Ashes Test as they prepare for the fifth and final match in Sydney.
However, England remain open to the option of bringing Bashir back should conditions be deemed more generous.
The 22-year-old has spent the past 18 months as the team’s first-choice spinner, but a combination of unhelpful surfaces, modest scores from the top seven and his own middling form in practice has seen him fall out of favor on this outing.
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Speaking on the Sky Sports Cricket podcast, Stuart Broad refused to revise his pre-Ashes assessment that everything was set for success in England.
Chief curator Adam Lewis had hoped that the SCG test would be extended to a fifth day.
“I’d like to see it turn green in three days,” Lewis said Friday of the surface.
“If I don’t see any live grass for three days, that’s when I worry. I’m very happy with where we’re sitting.”
“We’ve had a little bit of sun this morning. We’re saying we’ll get a little more sun tomorrow. That will take some of the green off the pitch. I’m really happy with the pitch at the moment.”
12 members of the England squad for the 5th Ashes Test
Ben Stokes (captain), Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brooke, Brydon Kearse, Zac Crawley, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (WK), Josh Tan.
Crawley backs England’s ‘Lionheart’ Potts
Opening pitcher Zak Crawley, England’s top scorer on tour, gave Potts glowing reviews.
“I faced Pozzi a little bit, but every time I face him, he impresses me,” he said.
“He has the heart of a lion and a lot of skills, and if he gets nominated this week, he deserves it.”
Matthew Potts looks likely to join the England squad to face Australia
For Crawley, the visit to the SCG provides an opportunity to look back on the innings that sparked his career four years ago.
His attacking 77 points, scored from 13 fours off just 100 balls, were a key calling card for England’s top order in a tough tour. Since then, despite mixed results, his popularity has never waned.
“I remember that knock clearly. It was one of my favorite knocks of all time, not so much for the score but for the way it was played,” he said.
“I’ve spent a lot of time in Sydney in my life and played a season of grade cricket here, so I feel comfortable. I really enjoy playing cricket in Sydney, so I hope I can rely on that and make more memories.”
Crawley may have been planning a long break at the end of the Ashes, but instead found himself handed an ODI recall for the Sri Lanka tour, which begins just weeks after the end of the fifth Test.
And it’s been two years since his last white-ball appearance, so he’s eager to seize the opportunity.
He further added, “Playing across formats is and always has been a big goal of mine. I am very excited about this opportunity and will give it my all.”
“It’s okay for me because I still feel young and fresh. I want to play every day if I can, so it’s not a problem.”
