England have unveiled their 15-member squad for the upcoming three-match Test series against South Africa, with young batter Jacob Bethell returning to the side. Jacob has been out of action since July 2026 following a knee injury. Josh Tongue will be unavailable for the first Test due to the birth of his first child.
England have also taken a bold call by dropping Shoaib Bashir. In his place, Liam Patterson-White has earned his maiden Test call-up an impressive 2026 County Championship campaign. Ollie Pope has also been left out of the squad despite featuring in England's Test side for the Pakistan series. Meanwhile, the squad, which will be led by Joe Root, also features the likes of Harry Brook, Sam Cook, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Robinson and Jamie Smith.
England Test squad: Joe Root (c), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Sonny Baker, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Sam Cook, Jordan Cox, Ben Duckett, Emilio Gay, Dan Lawrence, Liam Patterson-White, Ollie Robinson, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue