James Anderson will play his last Test in a team featuring two debutants after Surrey’s Jamie Smith and Gus Atkinson were selected for this week’s series opener against the West Indies at Lord’s.
England cut short speculation about their side for the first of a three-Test series by naming their XI on Monday — two days before the start of Wednesday’s match.
Anderson’s 188th and final Test appearance will mark the end of a record-breaking career spanning two decades.
No fast bowler has taken more than Anderson’s 700 Test wickets and only India batting hero Sachin Tendulkar has played more matches in the five-day game.
But the match will also launch a new era for England as well.
As the lone wicketkeeper in the squad after England dropped Jonny Bairstow and Ben Foakes, Smith’s place at number seven was assured before Monday’s announcement.
But doubts remained about the composition of England’s attack in a team again captained by Ben Stokes.
Atkinson has forced his way in ahead of Durham’s Matthew Potts and the uncapped Nottinghamshire quick Dillon Pennington.
The 26-year-old Atkinson has previously played nine one-day internationals and three T20s and was an unused squad member during the recent Test tour of India.
He has now been given an opportunity to take over from both Anderson and fellow veteran Stuart Broad, who retired after the end of England’s drawn home series against Australia in September last year.
Meanwhile, Chris Woakes will make his first Test appearance in a year as the 35-year-old prepares to become the leader of England’s pace attack in the second Test at Trent Bridge.
Spin bowler Shoaib Bashir, who edged his more senior Somerset team-mate Jack Leach out of the squad, will make a first home appearance after taking 17 wickets in three Tests in India.
England XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (capt), Jamie Smith (wkt), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, James Anderson
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