England pick unchanged squad plus four reserves for Test against Pakistan

Joe Root keeps each of his prolific fast-bowling options, with Stuart Broad, Jimmy Anderson, Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, Chris Woakes and Ben Stokes all included

England have named an unchanged squad for the upcoming first Test against Pakistan.

The selectors have kept faith with the group which secured victory over West Indies in the third Test at Emirates Old Trafford earlier this week to secure a 2-1 series victory and regain the Wisden Trophy.

That means Joe Root keeps all his prolific fast-bowling options, with Stuart Broad, Jimmy Anderson, Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, Chris Woakes, Sam Curran and Ben Stokes all included.

The players are currently enjoying time at home away from the bio-secure bubble prior to the Pakistan campaign, which is scheduled to begin on August 5.

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Four reserve players - the Gloucestershire batsman James Bracey, Essex's Dan Lawrence, Surrey wicketkeeper Ben Foakes and Somerset's left-arm spinner Jack Leach - have been named as reserves and will join the England squad inside the Old Trafford bubble.

They will therefore miss their respective counties' first and potentially second matches of the Bob Willis Trophy, but may return to their counties after the first Test.

National selector Ed Smith said: "We want to have sufficient reserves inside the biosecure Test match ‘bubble’, but we may also want to give opportunities, where possible, for the reserves to play county cricket.

"As we seek the best balance here, England may make changes to the reserves during the three-match series against Pakistan."

The England party will report back to Old Trafford on Sunday.

ENGLAND SQUAD FOR 1st TEST vs PAKISTAN

Joe Root (Yorkshire) Captain, James Anderson (Lancashire), Jofra Archer (Sussex), Dominic Bess (Somerset), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Rory Burns (Surrey), Jos Buttler (Lancashire), Zak Crawley (Kent), Sam Curran (Surrey), Ollie Pope (Surrey), Dom Sibley (Warwickshire), Ben Stokes (Durham), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire), Mark Wood (Durham)

Reserves: James Bracey (Gloucestershire), Ben Foakes (Surrey), Jack Leach (Somerset), Dan Lawrence (Essex)