It is less than a month now until England begin their international summer with a one-off, four-day Test against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge.
So how are they shaping up for that encounter and the five-match series with India that begins in Leeds on June 20? Mail Sport’s mid-term report assesses the current state of play.
They’ll pick Crawley anyway!
England’s top two should be poles apart in terms of current job security: Ben Duckett a shoo-in across formats, courtesy of strong form in all three last winter, Zak Crawley under pressure for habitual struggles. But they are not.
Monday’s unbeaten half century against Gloucestershire offered some respite for the latter during a torrid start to the County Championship season in which his first-innings scores are 1, 0 and 1. The selectors overlook such numbers when it comes to Crawley, a man who holds the lowest average of any England opener to have played 50 Test innings.
Conversely, though, they will use statistics to justify his retention on the eve of two of the biggest challenges on the Test circuit: India’s tour swiftly followed by an away Ashes. An average of 31 against the Indians is slightly higher than his career mark, but the 43 versus Australia following an impressive 2023 series shows his value.
Their contrasting physicality is also attractive as it forces bowlers to change lines and lengths, making Durham’s giant 20-year-old Ben McKinney the biggest threat to a break-up.
Zak Crawley is struggling for form but England will almost certainly pick him against Zimbabwe
The opening batsmen’s differing physicality is attracting due to bowlers needing to vary their lengths against them
Ben Duckett a shoo-in across formats, courtesy of strong form in all three last winter
Pope on the charge
Under instruction from the England management, Joe Root and Harry Brook, the side’s two best players, will feature just once for Yorkshire – against Warwickshire at Headingley, a week on Friday – before the first Test squad gathers in Nottingham while Ben Stokes might not play at all for Durham.
The ‘best when fresh’ approach is fine if you start a season well, but top batsmen like to develop rhythm at the crease and so the dormancy represents something of a gamble. In the case of Stokes, it is arguably his contributions as a fifth bowler that England need more than his runs.
Ollie Pope has shown the value of getting out there early, contributing scores in each of his first three appearances, including a hundred against Sussex last time out, while Jacob Bethell – his rival for the No 3 role – is bench-warming at the Indian Premier League.
Joe Root and Harry Brook, the side’s two best players, will feature just once for Yorkshire before the Zimbabwe Test
Ollie Pope has had the benefit of enjoying games with Surrey before the Test summer
Smith playing catch-up with gloves
As last year, Jamie Smith is not keeping wicket in domestic cricket, because Ben Foakes is incumbent gloveman at The Oval. It did not hinder the Surrey man in his Test debut summer of 2024, and can be overcome again, although going from nought to 90 with a click of the fingers is tough on the body.
Wicketkeepers, like bowlers, need to build up miles in their legs and Smith will feel his first full 90 overs in the field when it eventually comes around.
As for the batting? He will be frustrated at getting out when set on three occasions, but has scored his 180 runs to date quickly – of the top 35 most prolific batters in Division One, only Tom Banton, of Somerset, has a better strike rate.
Bashir under pressure
Shoaib Bashir was first picked in December 2023 with the Ashes down under in mind: for his ability to extra bounce from a high release point. The off-spinner boasted an extremely modest record of 10 first-class wickets at 67 runs each at that point and although he is piecing together the makings of a good Test career, claiming 49 at 40 in 15 appearances, it is nevertheless a concern that a player on whom England have placed all their chips has not found ways of getting opponents out when he drops back down a level.
Since becoming an international cricketer, the 21-year-old’s nine victims have cost 102 runs apiece, two in three matches during an ineffective loan spell at Glamorgan.
Not that Jack Leach, the man Somerset prefer as their primary spinner, has been able to put any pressure on. His returns in second innings – the business end of a match for spinners – have highlighted a lack of adaptability and bite.
Despite sending down 65 overs against Worcestershire, his spell bore only four wickets, allowing the opposition to escape with a draw, while it took 45 overs for another four-for against Sussex. So, if form or fitness dictate the need to look elsewhere this summer, Nottinghamshire offie Farhan Ahmed could become the first 17-year-old to play for England, breaking his brother Rehan’s record as this country’s youngest Test cricketer.
Jamie Smith (pictured) is not keeping wicket in domestic cricket with Surrey due to the presence of Ben Foakes
Spinner Shoaib Bashir, who was first picked in December 2023, is struggling for form
Seamer Brydon Carse is yet to prove his fitness after a recurring split on his left pointer toe
Fast show hits buffers
This has become the biggest area of concern for England given the schedule. A glut of injuries to the fast bowlers means selection might have to be done on head count.
With Mark Wood and Olly Stone sidelined until August at the earliest, Brydon Carse yet to prove his fitness following a recurring split on his left pointer toe and Jofra Archer absent on Indian Premier League duty, extreme pace is unlikely to be a feature of the Zimbabwe series. And a niggling ankle injury picked up over the winter threatens to delay the appearance in the Championship of Chris Woakes, a banker with the ball in English conditions.
That potentially leaves Gus Atkinson and Matthew Potts as the senior members of an attack against Zimbabwe also likely to feature uncapped Essex seamer Sam Cook and a fit-again Josh Tongue.
Expect Sonny Baker, the 22-year-old Hampshire fast bowler handed an ECB development contract prior to making his Championship debut this month, to be part of England’s build-up to the summer – a team bonding camp has been mooted but not finalised – too.