Joe Root named England captain for South Africa Tests; Bashir and Pope left out

09 Nov 2026, 08:55 pm IST|
Joe Root named England captain for South Africa Tests; Bashir and Pope left out
Image source

England named Joe Root as captain and announced a 15-member squad for their South Africa Test tour, a three-Test series that begins in Johannesburg on December 17.

Liam Patterson-White earned a maiden call-up after an impressive County Championship season, and Jacob Bethell was included after returning from injury.

Shoaib Bashir and Ollie Pope were left out of the squad, while Dan Lawrence was recalled.

Joe RootLiam Patterson WhiteJacob BethellShoaib BashirOllie Pope