England Test squad: Joe Root hands Ollie Pope return but questions remain over Ben Stokes' replacement as all-rounder

Returning captain Joe Root and England have named their 16-man squad for the opening two Tests against Pakistan - here's what we learnt from the announcement..

A lifeline for Pope

Joe Root's first squad in his second spell as captain features the return of Ollie Pope - a player whose international career looked dead and buried at the start of 2026.

Pope is a former vice-captain and the second-most capped player in the squad, playing 64 Tests over seven years and functioning as England's incumbent No 3 under previous skipper Ben Stokes, but was dropped during a dismal away Ashes series that saw him play six innings without making a fifty.

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The Surrey batter, though, has been handed a chance to resurrect his international career almost nine months after his last appearance, returning after a strong County Championship campaign which has seen him score 510 runs at an average of 56.66.

While he is expected to come in as a reserve, Pope will hope to provide England with much-needed experience in what is a new era for the Test side:

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"Pope has gone back and played and scored runs at Surrey," England selector Marcus North said.

"Apart from [Ben] Duckett, Root, [Harry] Brook and [Jamie] Smith, the rest of those players are still very much at the early stages of their careers, or trying to re-establish themselves at Test level.

"To have someone [like Pope] with experience of - not just playing - but also it's been well said that he's got good leadership and character around the group.

"[He has] the ability to play multiple roles if called upon, and also having the wicketkeeping as part of his armoury, gives us the ideal person for this first two Tests to be there as a reserve."

While Pope's return will begin on the sidelines, a reinvigorating domestic campaign - in conjunction with a fresh start for England under Root and new head coach Stephen Fleming - has provided a lifeline to a previously dwindling career at Test level.

Lawrence, Curran in mix to replace Stokes as all-rounder

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The absence of Stokes leaves Root's side in desperate need of an all-rounder to replace one of England's greatest ever talents.

The all-rounder of choice for the Pakistan series is Dan Lawrence. The Surrey player is expected to come in at number six and returns to the squad for the first time since 2024 after a blistering run of County Championship form that has seen him notch 788 runs at an average of 65.66, handily picking up nine wickets with his right-arm off-spin to boot.

His inclusion, though, has not ended the conversation. MI London captain Sam Curran has been highly touted to make a return to the Test squad for the first time in five years after impressing in England's white-ball series wins over India - an ambition shared by North.

"If we are going to pick a like-for-like [replacement for Stokes], they need to be at the level and have skill set we feel to be successful at Test level. Sam [Curran] is someone that we certainly identify as that player.

"It would be nice to see Sam Curran get an opportunity in that role and see how that works, but we don't have that option moving into the first two Tests," said North, who confirmed Curran's omission is related to fitness rather than preference.

"Certainly, if Sam was someone that we felt was ready to perform with the challenges that Test cricket throws at you mentally and physically, he would have been in that squad."

Bashir keeps place - but no space for Ahmed

Incumbent spinner Shoaib Bashir is set to keep his place in Root's team against Pakistan - but his inclusion comes at the expense of the promising Rehan Ahmed.

Ahmed featured in all three squads for the New Zealand series in June, but was overlooked for a place in the starting XI on all three occasions - and the Leicestershire bowling all-rounder has now been omitted from the Test setup altogether.

Alongside taking 12 wickets in the County Championship with leg-spin, Ahmed is averaging 35.16 with a high score of 128, in contrast to Bashir who - playing a division below with Derbyshire - has taken four more wickets at a worse economy while posting a modest batting average of 7.00.

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"We've seen [Ahmed's] involvement in all three formats of all squads, albeit his playing opportunities have been very limited this summer so far," North said. "We feel that Bashir is our number one spinner.

"He's finding himself in a position which, speaking to him personally yesterday, it's a tricky little period he's in.

"He's going to want the opportunities to play. He's finding himself in and out of squads, playing the odd match - that poses different challenges for a young kid developing his game."

England continue to invest heavily into fostering the talent of Bashir - but stunting the growth of Ahmed as an international cricketer could become a substantial concern.

England vs Pakistan (Test cricket) - August and September

• First Test (Wednesday August 19-Sunday August 23) - Headingley, Leeds (11am)
• Second Test (Thursday August 27-Monday August 31) - Lord's, London (11am)
• Third Test (Wednesday September 9-Sunday September 13) - Edgbaston, Birmingham (11am)

Watch the three-Test series between England and Pakistan live on Sky Sports Cricket from August 19. Stream cricket and more sport contract-free with NOW.