England changes made with Ashes focus, says Stokes

Wednesday's series opener against West Indies will be Ben Stokes' 25th Test as England captain

Captain Ben Stokes says the changes to the England Test team have been made with a focus on winning back the Ashes in Australia.

England begin the home summer against West Indies on Wednesday and have handed debuts to wicketkeeper Jamie Smith, pace bowler Gus Atkinson and preferred 20-year-old Shoaib Bashir to previous first-choice spinner Jack Leach.

Most importantly, the Test at Lord’s will be the final international match for England’s all-time leading wicket-taker James Anderson.

“We had to make some decisions around what we think is best for the team going into that Ashes series,” Stokes told BBC Sport.

“We want to go out there and we want to get that urn back.”

The next Ashes series is in Australia in the winter of 2025-26. Australia have held the urn since 2018, retaining cricket’s oldest prize with a 2-2 draw in the UK last summer.

The fallout from that series has continued over the past year, fuelled by two documentary series that focussed on the respective teams.

Teams for first England v West Indies Test

England XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, James Anderson.

West Indies XI: Kraigg Brathwaite (c), Mikyle Louis, Kirk McKenzie, Alick Athanaze, Kavem Hodge, Jason Holder, Joshua da Silva (wk), Gudakesh Motie, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Jayden Seales.

'A lot of thought about taking this team forward'

Following the release of the England and Wales Cricket Board's shows last week, some Australian media picked up on Stokes’ dressing-room speech to his team after rain ruined England’s chances of winning the fourth Test at Old Trafford and ensured they could not regain the Ashes.

Stokes responded by writing on X, formerly Twitter: “Said this to the team who had watched it rain for two days when we had our foot on your throats, just tried to cheer up the disappointment tbh, but anyways rent free and all that.”

Now, two years since Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum took charge of the Test team, England have shifted their rhetoric from focussing on the present to longer-term planning.

“We've made some unbelievable strides over the last two years but now we find ourselves where what can we do now can make this team even better,” said Stokes.

“Progression is the main word here. That's been a lot of thought process of mine about taking this team forward.”

Anderson is the only pace bowler to reach 700 Test wickets. A few days shy of his 42nd birthday, he will play his 188th and final Test on the same ground where he made his debut 21 years ago.

The Lancashire bowler is stepping aside after talks with Stokes, McCullum and managing director Rob Key in April, when the England management told Anderson they want to nurture younger bowlers.

“He's an amazing bowler, there's no doubt that he could still go out there and play Test cricket because he is good enough,” said Stokes.

“When we spoke with Jimmy, we laid it out with him and gave him the reasons and he totally understood it.

“This week will all be about Jimmy and rightly so, but I can tell you that his main focus is about going out there, taking wickets and trying to win this game for England.”

In addition to the fresh look of the England team, the home side will be boosted by Stokes’ fitness to fulfil the role of all-rounder.

The 33-year-old had surgery on a long-term left-knee problem in November, tentatively returned to bowling during the 4-1 series defeat in India earlier this year and has continued his rehabilitation in three County Championship matches for Durham.

“I can finally say that I can play the role that I've been known for, for 10 years, which is batting and being that fourth seamer,” said Stokes.

“I've worked very, very hard to get into this position and I know how much me as that fourth seamer adds to the team. I’m really excited to get going this week.”

West Indies are touring England for the first time since the Covid summer of 2020, when they lost 2-1 in matches played behind closed doors. In their last Test they stunned Australia at the Gabba in January to earn a 1-1 series draw.

Their batting is largely inexperienced and includes 23-year-old debutant Mikyle Louis, who will become the first West Indian Test cricketer from the island of St Kitts.

But, even without the injured Kemar Roach, the tourists have a strong pace-bowling quartet of Jason Holder, Jayden Seales, Alzarri Joseph and Shamar Joseph.

“Our own consistency of performance throughout this series is what is important,” said captain Kraigg Brathwaite.

"Our batters are young and exciting. The more games they play they will be better. They have a lot of talent and we are full behind them."