England name XI for Zimbabwe Test

Essex bowler Sam Cook will make his England debut in this week’s one-off Test against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge, starting on Thursday.

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2025-05-21T10:13:50.000Z

The 27-year-old will form an inexperienced bowling attack with Gus Atkinson, Josh Tongue and spinner Shoaib Bashir.

The match, a four-day Test and Zimbabwe's first in England since 2003, signals the start of a packed international summer.

Edgbaston will host the first white-ball international of the year on Thursday 29 May and limited tickets are still left.

Cook is a more traditional, skilful seam bowler - his debut a reward for his superb County Championship record - taking 227 County Championship wickets in the past five years, more than any other seamer.

The pace trio of Cook, Tongue and Atkinson contains only 13 Test caps, making it England's most inexperienced pace attack for 22 years.

This will be only the second home Test England have begun without any of Chris Woakes, James Anderson or Stuart Broad - the latter two have now retired - in the past 18 years.

Woakes and Mark Wood, England's two most experienced pace bowlers, are currently injured.

Nottinghamshire's Tongue will offer captain Ben Stokes a faster bowling option and returns for his first Test since the 2023 Ashes.

The Zimbabwe Test begins a defining run for England's red-ball side with a five-match series against India to follow, including the second Test at Edgbaston, and the Ashes in Australia this winter.