
Overton, Bethell in Eng squad for India Test
Overton has been a regular in England's white-ball set-up but won his solitary Test cap against New Zealand in 2022, taking two wickets and hitting an unexpected 97 with the bat.
It is unclear whether the all-rounder will be fully fit to take the field at Headingley on June 20, having broken a finger during the recent one-day internationals against the West Indies.
The England and Wales Cricket Board said the 31-year-old will be "assessed and reviewed daily" by its medical team.
Overton's Surrey teammate Gus Atkinson is not fit after injuring his hamstring in England's Test win against Zimbabwe last month.
England have brought back pacemen Chris Woakes and Brydon Carse, both of whom missed the early part of the season with injury problems.
Woakes could edge out Sam Cook, who retains his place in the squad after a quiet debut against Zimbabwe.
Rising star Bethell is back from Indian Premier League duty after winning the tournament with Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
The 21-year-old impressed during his debut Test series in New Zealand in November and December, scoring three half-centuries at number three, and averages 52.
Vice-captain Ollie Pope and Zak Crawley were thought to be under pressure from Bethell's reintroduction but the pair both scored hundreds against Zimbabwe.
The Test at Headingley is the first in a five-match series.
England squad:
Ben Stokes (capt), Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Sam Cook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wkt), Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Business Recorder
6 hours ago
- Business Recorder
ECB to host next three World Test Championship finals till 2031, ICC says
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) will continue to host the biennial final of the World Test Championship for the next three editions till 2031, global governing body ICC said on Sunday. The match, which crowns the world champions in the longest format of the sport, has been held in England since it was introduced, with Southampton hosting the first edition in 2021 and the two subsequent finals taking place in London. 'We are absolutely delighted that England and Wales has been chosen to host the next three ICC World Test Championship finals,' the ECB chief executive Richard Gould said. 'It's a testament to the passion that fans in this country have for this treasured format of the game and the willingness of supporters from around the world to travel here for these games.' Knee injury ends Reddy's England tour, Arshdeep out of Manchester Test The 2025 final at Lord's, where South Africa beat defending champions Australia, was attended by 109,227 people over four days and received 225 million digital views, the ICC said in a statement last month. 'Hosting these finals is a privilege, and we look forward to working with the ICC to build on the success of the previous editions,' Gould added.


Express Tribune
a day ago
- Express Tribune
WCL organisers call off India-Pakistan legends match
Listen to article A highly anticipated match between Pakistan and India in the ongoing World Championship of Legends (WCL) was cancelled on Sunday due to escalating tensions between the two countries, tournament organisers confirmed. In a statement issued in Birmingham, the WCL management expressed regret over the cancellation of the fixture, which was scheduled to take place today. While no specific reason was cited, the organisers acknowledged the disappointment caused to fans and shared details of the decision in a post on social media platform X. 'After hearing the news that the Pakistan hockey team will be coming to India this year, and seeing the recent India vs Pakistan volleyball match along with a few other fixtures between the two nations in different sports, we thought of continuing with the India vs Pakistan match at WCL, just to create some happy memories for people around the globe," the statement read. Dear all , — World Championship Of Legends (@WclLeague) July 19, 2025 "But maybe in the process, we ended up hurting the feelings of many and stirring emotions," the organisers added, while also apologising for 'unintentionally causing discomfort' to Indian cricket legends. 'Hence, we have decided to call off the India-Pakistan match. We sincerely apologise again for hurting sentiments and hope people will understand that all we ever wanted was to bring a few happy moments to the fans.' Fans who purchased tickets for the match have been assured full refunds, the statement said. Read More: Shastri makes bold prediction about Rahul According to sources, tensions escalated after an alleged demand was made to exclude former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi from the playing XI. Indian players Shikhar Dhawan and Harbhajan Singh reportedly opposed playing the match, leading to further friction. Indian media outlets also questioned the necessity of staging the match under the current geopolitical climate, prompting organisers to call it off. The second edition of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB)-sanctioned tournament, began on July 18 at Edgbaston. The Pakistan team, captained by Shahid Afridi, features former stars including Younis Khan, Sohail Tanvir, Wahab Riaz, and Kamran Akmal. The side, led by Mohammad Hafeez in their opening match, had earlier defeated England. India Champions are led by World Cup winner Yuvraj Singh and include notable names such as Dhawan, Harbhajan, Yusuf Pathan, Irfan Pathan, Suresh Raina, Robin Uthappa, and Varun Aaron. The rest of the tournament will continue as per schedule. Each of the six participating teams will play each other once before the top four proceed to the semi-finals on July 31, with the final set for August 2. Matches will be played across Birmingham, Northampton, Leicester, and Leeds. However, it remains unclear what the organisers will decide if India and Pakistan are to meet again in the knockout stages. Also Read: Tehran says air defence systems restored after Israel conflict Relations between the two countries remain strained. Following a terror attack in Pahalgam in April, tensions have flared, briefly affecting the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the Pakistan Super League (PSL). India does not engage in bilateral sporting ties with Pakistan, with cricket encounters between the two sides now limited to ICC tournaments such as the World Cup and Champions Trophy. A hybrid hosting model was introduced during this year's Champions Trophy, where India played its matches in Dubai while the rest of the tournament was held in Pakistan. A similar model is in place for the upcoming Women's ODI World Cup, with Pakistan scheduled to play all its matches in Colombo, as India and Sri Lanka co-host the event. Meanwhile, uncertainty surrounds the men's Asia Cup, tentatively scheduled for September in T20 format, as the venue for a potential India-Pakistan clash has yet to be confirmed.


Express Tribune
4 days ago
- Express Tribune
Ponting backs Aus top order for Ashes
Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting on Thursday threw his support behind Australia's current top-order lineup ahead of the highly anticipated Ashes series against England later this year. Speaking on the ICC digital, Ponting offered his thoughts on who should occupy the top three batting positions for the Ashes and the start of Australia's new World Test Championship cycle. "The batters that they're talking about in the last couple of weeks in particular have been Sam Konstas and Usman Khawaja, and then there was some talk about Cameron Green, whether he's a long-term number three or not," Ponting said. He believed the current trio will remain unchanged, including the embattled Konstas and urged selectors to stay the course. "Green's second innings in the West Indies might have put that to bed. As tough as the conditions were, the way he batted might have silenced a few of those critics," he said. He acknowledged that there are a few matches left to make a strong case for selection. "I read a really interesting piece by Robert Craddock about how they tried to protect Sam from the Sri Lanka tour, thinking the Caribbean would be easier. But it turned out the pitches in Sri Lanka were better for batting and the West Indies surfaces were really tough," he explained. Ponting believed the conditions have played a significant role in Konstas's challenges, noting that Australia's initial plan to shield him from the difficult Sri Lanka tour backfired. "That last match where the West Indies were bowled out for 27 – that's not just world-class bowling, that's also about the surface and conditions." He recalled how he only managed one century in his first two years in the format after debuting at the age of 20. "The unfortunate thing about Test cricket is that, when you're a young player, you often have to work things out yourself – in the middle," Ponting said. "Practice, coaching, advice they all help, but finding a method that works for you happens out there in real match situations."