England made one change to its playing XI for the series-deciding fourth Test at Old Trafford, with all-rounder Liam Dawson replacing the injured Shoaib Bashir.
A Hampshire all-rounder, Dawson has been a steady performer with both bat and ball, and his presence will add depth to England’s batting.
Returning to the Test team for the first time since July 2017, Dawson could be effective on a spin-friendly surface. “He’s a wily, old fox, very experienced and a very skillful cricketer. He has played everywhere, played against everyone, so hopefully he can have an amazing performance this week,” said England’s Harry Brook.
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The 35-year-old Dawson’s consistent performances helped him win the Professional Cricketers’ Association’s Player of the Year in 2023 and 2024.
“He’s obviously a very good batter as well with nearly 20 first-class hundreds, which adds to our strength in batting. He’s willing to always fight for the team, and he is very competitive. It’s good to have him here,” Brook said, adding that the team will miss Bashir.
ENGLAND PLAYING 11 FOR THE FOURTH TEST:
Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (vc), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Liam Dawson, Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer
