England has announced its 15-man squad for the one-off Test against Ireland on June 1 at Lord’s. Ben Stokes will lead the team, with Ollie Pope as vice-captain. Wicketkeeper-batter Jonny Bairstow is returning to the side, while Ben Foakes has been left out. Fast bowlers Mark Wood and Chris Woakes are also coming back to the side. James Anderson’s inclusion in the squad is a positive sign, as he had suffered an injury while bowling in a county match. Jofra Archer will miss the remaining summer games due to a recurrence of a stress fracture to his right elbow.
The four-day Test between England and Ireland will only be the second Test between the two nations. The first one was played in 2019, with England winning by 143 runs. The home Ashes against Australia will begin on June 16, so England will be looking forward to getting some game time before facing their arch-rivals.
England Squad: Ben Stokes (c), James Anderson, Jonathan Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.
