England name Alex Hales and Zafar Ansari in Test squad to face Pakistan

England name Alex Hales and Zafar Ansari in Test squad to face Pakistan: England have selected uncapped duo of Alex Hales and Zafar Ansari for the forthcoming Test series against Pakistan. Both men have been named in a 16-man squad for the three-match series in the United Arab Emirates, which begins next month. England coach Trevor Bayliss is a big believer in having two assertive batsmen in the top 3 in Tests and has been a crucial factor in plumping for Hales to try to fill a void that has been an issue since the retirement of Andrew Strauss in 2012.

Hales, who has scored 886 runs at an average of 52 in Division One for Nottinghamshire this summer, now has a chance to establish himself as Alastair Cook’s opening partner. Ansari who is a good all-round cricketer came close to selection for the Test squad that faced West Indies earlier this year and will push Adil Rashid for selection if the Yorkshireman struggles to adapt to the highest level.

Another yorkshire batsman James Taylor who had a fantastic ODI series against Australia been rewarded with a return to the Test squad, having played his only two matches against South Africa in 2012. Adam Lyth has been dropped after failing to impress during the 3-2 Ashes series win.

The England and Wales Cricket Board also confirmed the appointment of the former one-day captain Paul Collingwood and recently retired Sri Lankan Mahela Jayawardene in consultancy roles. Jayawardene will work with the Test team until the end of the first Test against Pakistan, while Collingwood returns to the set-up to work with the limited-overs group in the UAE and will also work at next year’s World Twenty20.

Elsewhere, Ben Stokes has been rested from both white-ball formats considering the non stop cricket he has played this summer. Reflecting on the new arrivals in the Test squad, national selector James Whitaker said: “The challenge we face against Pakistan will be very different and the composition of our squads reflects the conditions we expect to encounter in the UAE. Zafar Ansari’s potential excites us and he will provide strong competition for Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali in the Test squad after enjoying an excellent domestic season with both bat and ball for Surrey”.

Joe Root has been recalled after being rested for the ODI series against Australia. The ODI squad also includes newcomer Reece Topley and Chris Jordan who also return to the T20I squad.

England leave for the United Arab Emirates on 30 September to begin their tour with two 2-day warm-up matches against Pakistan A in Sharjah before the three-Test series begins in Abu Dhabi on 13 October. After the Tests, England will play 4 ODIs and 3 T20Is.

Test squad: Alastair Cook (c), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Zafar Ansari, Jonny Bairstow, Ian Bell Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Steven Finn, Alex Hales, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, James Taylor, Mark Wood

ODI squad: Eoin Morgan (c), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Steven Finn, Alex Hales, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, James Taylor, Reece Topley, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.

T20I squad: Eoin Morgan (c), Moeen Ali, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Alex Hales, Chris Jordan, Stephen Parry, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Reece Topley, James Vince, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.