England have named a 12-man squad for the first Test of the summer against New Zealand at Lord's, delaying a decision on whether to hand Hampshire fast bowler Sonny Baker his Test debut until the latest weather forecast is available. The approach mirrors the selection process for the first Ashes Test last November, when a 12-man squad was announced before opting for Mark Wood's extra pace.
Head coach Brendon McCullum confirmed that the final XI will depend on the weather, with Baker likely to be preferred over Gus Atkinson if the weekend forecast is clear and hot. 'We've got a very good idea of the XI we want, but we want to see how the weather plays out,' McCullum said. 'If it becomes 35C and flattens out, we might want the extra airspeed. Or we stick to what's tried and tested at Lord's.'
Shoaib Bashir has been selected as the frontline spinner ahead of Rehan Ahmed, while Jacob Bethell is fit after a finger injury and can bowl if needed. Atkinson has impressed at Lord's in two previous Tests, taking 19 wickets at an average of 10.94 and scoring a century against Sri Lanka in 2024.
Baker, 23, made his Twenty20 and one-day international debuts last summer with mixed results. McCullum praised his pace and aggression: 'It's that airspeed from him. He's quick. He charges in, he leaves everything out there. Some guys have a rhythmical component; Sonny is full noise. He's an exciting proposition, and if it's not this Test, his time will come.'
