England announces playing XI for one-off four-day Test against Zimbabwe

England have announced their playing XI for the upcoming one-off four-day Test against Zimbabwe, to be played at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, from May 22 to 25. The fixture will be England’s first red-ball meeting with Zimbabwe since 2003 and marks a key tune-up ahead of their five-match Test series against India later this year.

The headline from England’s announcement is the inclusion of uncapped Essex seamer Sam Cook, who will make his Test debut. The 27-year-old has been a standout performer on the county circuit, taking over 300 wickets at an average below 20. His performances this season, 10 wickets already in the 2025 County Championship, have made a compelling case for selection.

Joining Cook in the pace attack is Josh Tongue, who returns to the Test arena for the first time since the Ashes Test at Lord’s in June 2023. His comeback adds experience and potency to a bowling unit that also features Gus Atkinson and skipper Ben Stokes, now fully recovered from the hamstring injury that sidelined him during the winter.

ALSO SEE: Big Twist in IPL 2025 regulations – Here’s everything you need to know!

Stable Top Order, Bashir Trusted with Spin, Rew, and Potts Miss Out

There are no surprises at the top of the order, with Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett continuing their partnership. Ollie Pope remains at No. 3, with the seasoned trio of Joe Root, Harry Brook, and Ben Stokes forming a formidable middle order. Jamie Smith keeps the gloves for this match, having impressed in the second half of 2024. His emergence as a reliable wicketkeeper-batter gives England flexibility in team selection moving forward.

With spin duties, Shoaib Bashir has been backed again as England’s frontline option. The 21-year-old off-spinner has shown significant promise since debuting and continues to grow in stature. With no second spinner in the XI, Bashir will carry the spin load alone in Nottingham. From the wider squad, James Rew and Matthew Potts are the two players to miss out. Rew was a late addition as cover for the injured Jordan Cox, but hasn’t been selected in the final XI.

England XI for One-Off Test vs Zimbabwe:

Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Gus Atkinson, Josh Tongue, Sam Cook, Shoaib Bashir