Harry Brook will travel to Australia this winter as England’s new Test vice-captain, a switch that nudges Ollie Pope down the pecking order and, potentially, opens the No.3 slot for 21-year-old Jacob Bethell. A 16-strong touring party, announced on Tuesday, also features the surprise recall of Surrey all-rounder Will Jacks, nearly three years after his only two Tests in Pakistan.
Pope has deputised for Ben Stokes five times over the past 14 months, most recently in July’s six-run defeat to India at The Oval. He began that series with a hundred at Headingley but tailed off to finish with an average of 34. Brendon McCullum flagged a possible reshuffle earlier this month and the axe has now fallen, at least in terms of leadership. His batting spot looks equally vulnerable with Bethell fresh from an ODI century against South Africa.
Brook’s elevation, on the other hand, feels part of a wider succession plan. He already captains England’s white-ball sides, replacing Jos Buttler in March, and his authority could be tested quickly if Stokes’s shoulder troubles flare up again. The ECB insists the captain “remains on track” for the first Test in Brisbane on 21 November, but the medical bulletins have become a familiar soundtrack.
Jacks the bolter
Jacks’s inclusion caught most observers off guard. The 26-year-old off-spinner claimed six wickets in his debut Test at Rawalpindi – all in one innings – yet has played only five first-class matches for Surrey across the last two seasons. England like his height, overspin and useful lower-order hitting, seeing him as the closest stylistic match to Shoaib Bashir. Jack Leach, Liam Dawson and Rehan Ahmed were all overlooked.
A fractured finger, sustained while fielding against South Africa earlier this month, rules Jacks out of the preceding white-ball tour of New Zealand, but selectors are confident he will be fit by late October. “It’s come a bit sooner than I expected,” he admitted on Tuesday, “but the Ashes is the series you dream about. I’ll be ready.”
Seam attack reshaped
Durham’s Matthew Potts returns as the sixth seamer after Chris Woakes dislocated his shoulder in the Oval Test. Jamie Overton’s decision to pause his red-ball career also played into Potts’s hands. Mark Wood, absent since the Champions Trophy with a knee problem, makes the trip and is the only fast bowler in the squad with previous Ashes experience down under.
He joins Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse and Josh Tongue in a pace unit high on speed but light on Test caps. Wood, mindful of recent setbacks, sounded a cautious note: “The body feels good but I’ll need a couple of warm-up games to find rhythm. Australia is unforgiving if you’re under-cooked.”
Batting order under the microscope
Beyond Stokes’s fitness, the main talking point will be who bats at three. Bethell’s Test debut in July yielded scores of 6 and 5 at No.6, yet his white-ball form – that hundred at Centurion, 68* in Kimberley – has excited the coaches. Pope could still hold his spot, but he is now looking over his shoulder, which is rarely ideal preparation for a high-pressure series.
Squad in full
Ben Stokes (capt.), Harry Brook (vice-capt.), Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Jacob Bethell, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Ben Foakes (wk), Shoaib Bashir, Will Jacks, Mark Wood, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Matthew Potts.
The party assembles in Perth on 1 November, plays two four-day warm-ups and then heads to Brisbane. By then we should know whether Stokes’s shoulder – and Pope’s confidence – have healed in time.
