England on Tuesday announced their Playing XI for the second Test against West Indies, starting on July 18 at Trent Bridge in Nottingham. The Three Lions won the opening Test of the three-match series by an innings and 114 runs. The game was eventually the last for legendary James Anderson, who bid adieu to the format at Lord's.
England have made only one change to their victorious team of the opening game with Mark Wood replacing the now-retired Anderson. He will be part of the three-pronged pace attack featuring young sensation Gus Atkinson and Chris Woakes apart from Ben Stokes.
Shoaib Bashir, who did not get to bowl in the game, is the lone spinner in the English side.
This will be the first time that England will play a home Test without either Anderson or Stuart Broad. The last time the Three Lions went without one of these two in a home Test was in 2012 vs West Indies in Birmingham.
Anderson is with the team in the new role of bowling mentor after his final Test game for the Three Lions. England managing director Rob Key had confirmed that the 41-year-old will stay with the England team "all summer". "He’s got so much to offer English cricket. We don’t want to see that go. When we asked him, he was keen. He is going to have a lot of options. English cricket would be very lucky if he chooses to stay in the game," Key had said before the first Test.
Meanwhile, Wood returns to the Playing XI after being roped into the squad for the second Test. He was not available for the opening Test after just arriving from West Indies, following England's T20 World Cup. Wood played in five matches and picked three wickets for the 2022 champions. He also featured in three of the five Test matches played against India earlier in the year.
After Anderson's retirement, Chris Woakes is the most experienced proper bowler in the team, having played 49 Tests and on the horizon of winning his 50th cap. Wood has played 34 Tests so far.
England's Playing XI for the Nottingham Test:
Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (capt) Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Mark Wood, Shoaib Bashir.
