Australia? Never heard of it. The Ashes? Nope, same. It is onwards and upwards for England as they seek to rebuild their side, tweak their tactical approach and, crucially, start winning Test matches again. Since the start of 2025, they have won just four matches, losing six and drawing one.
They are currently fourth in the ICC Test rankings. Those of an optimistic persuasion will view that as just two ranking points shy of India in third. Those who view the world pessimistically will be more concerned about New Zealand being fifth, just a point behind. And perhaps more importantly, the fact that Australia (whoever they are!) are a massive 29 points ahead of England as the home test action gets underway.
New Zealand Await
England open their home campaign with a three-Test series against New Zealand. That gets underway on Thursday, the 4th of June, at Lord’s. England’s main opponents this summer will be India, but not in the Test arena, with five T20s and three ODIs scheduled against them in the space of 20 days in July. After that, Ben Stokes’ men face another three-Test series, this time against Pakistan, before another three T20s and three ODIs against Sri Lanka, those matches coming thick and fast over the course of 13 days in September.
The focus right now, though, is on the Kiwis. The first Test remains some way off, but England have opted to name their squad early, and there is much for fans to be excited about. There are some big changes, with one stalwart dropped, one bowler returning after two years in the Test wilderness and three entirely new faces.
Trio of Exciting Newcomers
Fast bowler Sonny Baker has played white-ball cricket for England but is a newcomer to the Test squad. Opening batter Emilio Gay has also played international cricket before – for Italy! However, while he has played for England Lions against India, this is his first involvement with the senior England team in any format. Last, we have James Rew, who captained the Lions when Gay played in a team that also included Rehan Ahmed and Josh Hull, among others.
James Rew
Rew was the wicketkeeper for the Lions, and the London-born 22-year-old has been named in a Test squad before. In 2025, he was called up to replace the injured Jordan Cox but did not play. While Rew keeps wicket for Somerset, it is believed he has been called up solely as a batter, at least for now.
Jamie Smith will keep the gloves, with Rew under consideration as an opener, though he typically bats in the middle order. He has batted at three and four, but has produced most of his scores at six. He did recently open for his county, at England’s request, and the left-hander is an option there, but is likely to be the reserve batter when the Test season begins at Lord’s.
Emilio Gay
Gay’s inclusion in the squad and his more proven form at the top of the order suggest he will get the nod to open. The Durham left-hander was born in Bedford but has Italian and West Indian heritage, with the latter also approaching him to play for them. At the time of writing, the 26-year-old boasts three centuries this season, averages 92 and is the second-highest runscorer in the Second Division.
Sonny Baker
Sonny Baker turned 23 in March and has played one T20 and one ODI for England. He probably wants to forget both, going wicketless and proving very expensive. That said, he believed he learned a lot from those experiences and he certainly has the pace to thrive at international level. He has 14 wickets in this season’s First Division and with much uncertainty around England’s attack, he seems set to get a chance at some point during the summer.
No Crawley and Robinson Returns
Both Shoaib Bashir and Rehan Ahmed are included in the squad, with no place for Jack Leach or Liam Dawson, the latter retiring from first-class cricket after his omission. The bigger news on the bowling front is the recall of Ollie Robinson.
The 32-year-old burst onto the international scene in 2021 and took 76 wickets in 20 Tests at an average of just under 23. However, fitness issues and questions about his attitude, plus his lack of pace, mean he has not played for England since February 2024. It is thought that improved fitness has him bowling at full speed once again. While that remains in the low 80 miles per hour, in English conditions, his movement means he is “world class” according to Rob Key, England’s director of cricket.
England head into this series without James Anderson, Stuart Broad or Chris Woakes, so this is certainly an opening for a swing bowler. They also head into it without Zak Crawley, with the tall, left-handed opener having been dropped. His absence has opened the way for Gay and perhaps Rew. He has had a long time to establish himself and hasn’t managed it. Combined with a woeful Ashes and a poor start in the County Championship, his exclusion was almost inevitable.