England recall Dan Lawrence as Jacob Bethell ruled out of Pakistan Tests
England recalled Dan Lawrence and named a 16-man squad on Thursday, August 6, 2026, for the first Test against Pakistan in Leeds on Aug. 19, while Jacob Bethell was ruled out of the three-match series with a right knee injury.
The upcoming Test in Leeds begins what the report described as the post-Ben Stokes era, with Lawrence set to bat at No. 6 and wicketkeeper Jamie Smith likely one place lower in the order. Bethell's absence opened the door for Jordan Cox to bat at first drop; Cox made his Test debut only in June against New Zealand at The Oval, where he batted at No. 7 after previous injury setbacks. The squad named covers the first two Tests with selection influenced by the returning captain and the interim coaching setup.
Fast bowler Brydon Carse, who missed England's 2-1 loss to New Zealand because of a right-hand injury, was included in the 16-man group for the first two Tests. The squad is to be led by returning captain Joe Root, with Marcus Trescothick acting as interim coach while newly appointed Stephen Fleming, absent from the coaching role, had a say in selection. Those selection details were confirmed in the announcement on Thursday.
Former vice-captain Ollie Pope was recalled after being discarded during the Ashes series in Australia, where he averaged 20.83 before making way for Bethell. Seamer Sam Cook was also selected after his lone Test appearance against Zimbabwe in May 2025. Off-spinner Shoaib Bashir was retained in the squad, though Lawrence’s presence as an off-spin option raises a selection decision for the final XI.
Lawrence has been out of international cricket since the last of his 14 Test appearances in September 2024, when he struggled batting out of position as an opener against Sri Lanka. In county cricket this season he has averaged 65.66 with five centuries in eight Division One County Championship outings, a form cited in support of his recall. His recent domestic returns were highlighted as part of the selectors' rationale.
With Ben Stokes having ended his England career after the series defeat by New Zealand, finishing with 7,273 runs and 252 Test wickets, Sam Curran and Rehan Ahmed were identified as other options to provide balance in the seam-bowling and allrounder departments. The announcement came amid a run of poor results for England: the side has lost seven of its last nine Tests and has not won a series since December 2024.
The three-match series begins in Leeds on Aug. 19 and will also be played at Lord's and Birmingham.
