Five key selection decisions England must make ahead of Pakistan series

A curious summer for England will continue in August as Pakistan arrive for a three-Test tour with Marcus Trescothick in interim charge of the hosts.

Stephen Fleming has been installed as Brendon McCullum’s successor with the Test team but will not take up his role until September, leaving Trescothick to join a reappointed Joe Root in trying to set a new direction after a bruising series against New Zealand earlier in the year.

While Fleming will have some say in selection, the indications are that Trescothick and Root will be prominent voices, too, alongside selector Marcus North – who is set to speak after the squad is unveiled next week.

The retirement of Ben Stokes leaves a significant hole with England apparently lacking a like-for-like replacement as a seam-bowling all-rounder, with the knock-on impacts perhaps significant for the composition of the rest of the attack.

There may be batting places to think about, too, with Jacob Bethell a slight injury doubt. Here are five key decisions to be made:

How to replace Ben Stokes?

The first question is one without a straightforward answer. Stokes’ batting powers may have, statistically, been on the wane, but he remained a force with the ball and a vital balancing figure within any XI. England looked uneasy during the second New Zealand Test when without their then-captain – better solutions must be found.

It feels likely that England search for a spinning all-rounder to replace Stokes at No 7. Rehan Ahmed has long been liked though lacks the bowling volume and, perhaps, consistency that England might desire; Will Jacks has not featured in a Test squad since the Ashes and similarly has a way to go with his second skill. More left-field, to some extent, options could include James Coles, the Sussex batting all-rounder, or Calvin Harrison, so impressive for Northants in all three facets over the last couple of years.

Could Sam Curran come under consideration? The left-armer worked closely with Fleming at the Chennai Super Kings a few years ago, and also under Root during the skipper’s first stint. A lack of recent red-ball experience may count against him, but Curran would appear keen for consideration.

Spinning stocks

The retirement of Stokes may be bad news for Shoaib Bashir, who it is now tough to see being squeezed in even if Curran is looked at as a seam-bowling replacement. England have put a lot of time into their pet spin project, though Bashir hasn’t maybe kicked on in the way that he, and they, would have liked. The tweakers could well be crucial at the end of a dry, hot summer, mind – will North et al. explore alternative specialists, or even consider playing two in the same team? That may bring Bashir back in, though the time may have come for a look elsewhere.

Top order trouble?

Jacob Bethell’s withdrawal from the Hundred came with a warning of further assessment required on a knee injury that could put his place against Pakistan in peril. No further information has yet been forthcoming, but England will want their No 3 in situ to continue to build experience and form in Test cricket after a couple of bad dismissals against New Zealand.

Can Emilio Gay be said to be totally sure of his place at the top of the order? Gay was a victim of the Stokes-instigated chaos at the end of the Trent Bridge Test, eventually coming in at No 6, and has made a solid-if-unspectacular start to life at international level. It would be mightily harsh to not give him at least another series, though any potential Bethell absence could necessitate a reshuffle.

A problem of plenty

When speaking after the Fleming and Root appointments on Friday, Rob Key was eager to point out his excitement about England’s seamers, noting the way Gus Atkinson, Sonny Baker and Josh Tongue had been bowling in the Hundred as evidence of their fulfilling of all-format potential. Key, rightly, also noted the consistency that Jofra Archer has found since being rested for the first of the New Zealand Tests. Brydon Carse is back bowling, too, after a long lay-off and may come into the thinking when the squad is named for Pakistan – though is maybe a more limited bowler than others.

If a spinner is selected at No 7, there may be room for four quicks but ensuring complementary skillsets will be key. Ollie Robinson had a strange series with his ability still not in question, and a lack of accurate alternatives with the new ball may see him feature again. Archer is a virtual certainty to start but will probably not play all three Tests. Pakistan struggled against the West Indies’ high-class seamers in the first Test in Trinidad and England appear to have an array of options to try to trouble them.

Any statement selections?

A fresh era can bring with it fresh perspective on the construction of a cricket team. With North still new to his role, Fleming arriving and Root returning, it may be that the trio seek a departure in some ways from the McCullum/Stokes axis that has gone before. Both Fleming and Root have, in the past, shown a predilection for adaptability – Fleming’s CSK sides would regularly bat deep and mix up multifaceted orders, while Root enjoyed success with an England team of all-rounders in the past. To enact something similar would require a significant shift, though it may be that new eyes see individuals differently – where does Jamie Smith best fit? What is the messaging to Harry Brook? Does the style need to change? While Fleming may not yet be in England, the next few weeks could say a lot about the side he wants to build.