Root to lead England in South Africa Tests; Bashir and Pope left out
Joe Root to captain the side as Liam Patterson-White receives maiden call-up for the 2025-27 World Test Championship series.
Quick Look
- England has named a 15-player squad for their upcoming three-match Test series against South Africa.
- Joe Root will captain the team, which features debutant Liam Patterson-White and the return of Jacob Bethell, while Shoaib Bashir and Ollie Pope are excluded.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The series is part of the 2025-27 World Test Championship. South Africa currently holds the second position in the standings, while England is ranked sixth.
England have announced a 15-member squad for their three-match Test series against South Africa, which will be part of the 2025-27 World Test Championship (WTC). Joe Root will captain the side, while Liam Patterson-White has received his maiden Test call-up following an impressive County Championship season in 2026. Patterson-White was the most successful spinner in the competition, earning him a place in the squad. Jacob Bethell has also returned after recovering from a knee injury. However, spinner Shoaib Bashir and batter Ollie Pope have been left out. Dan Lawrence makes a comeback as an additional batting option who can also contribute with the ball.
England's pace attack includes Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Ollie Robinson, Sam Cook and Sonny Baker. Explaining the selection, national selector Marcus North said the team was prepared for a tough challenge against the reigning World Test champions. “We have selected a strong and balanced squad that is ready for the challenge of facing a South African team that are ICC Test World Champions and who returned to the top of the ICC Test rankings following their recent 2-1 series win over Australia,” North said.
He also confirmed two changes from the squad that defeated Pakistan 3-0 in the home summer series, with Patterson-White earning his first call-up and Bethell returning from injury.
England are currently sixth in the WTC 2025-27 standings with 38.64 percentage points, while South Africa are second with 71.43 per cent. The series will begin in Johannesburg from December 17 to 21. The second Test will be played in Centurion from December 26 to 30, while the final match is scheduled in Cape Town from January 3 to 7. The tour will follow England's limited-overs series in Australia. England 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
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
First Test match begins in Johannesburg on December 17.
Very likely · Within weeks
Open Questions
- How will the new squad members perform in South African conditions?