Rew replaces Cox for Zimbabwe Test

James Rew replaces injured Jordan Cox in England Test squad to face Zimbabwe

Somerset’s rising star James Rew has been called up to the England squad for the upcoming one-off Test against Zimbabwe, replacing the injured Jordan Cox.

The 21-year-old wicketkeeper-batter has impressed in the County Championship this season, averaging 54.21 with a highest score of 152. Rew, who featured in England’s Under-19 World Cup campaign in 2022 and toured Australia with the England Lions last winter, will join the national squad for a training camp next week ahead of the match, which begins on 22 May at Trent Bridge.

Cox, 24, suffered an injury while scoring a century in Essex’s recent defeat to Somerset. He had been selected as a reserve batter for the Test, and the setback is a cruel one after a string of strong performances, including scores of 82, 117, and a 103* before retiring hurt.

This is the latest blow for Cox, who was also denied a Test debut last November in New Zealand due to a broken thumb sustained during practice.

Zimbabwe will return to Test cricket in the UK for the first time since 2003 – a series that saw the debut of England’s all-time leading wicket-taker, James Anderson.

Following the Zimbabwe match, England’s summer continues with a five-Test series against India, starting on 20 June at Headingley.

England squad to face Zimbabwe:
Ben Stokes (Durham, captain), Gus Atkinson (Surrey), Shoaib Bashir (Somerset), Harry Brook (Yorkshire), Sam Cook (Essex), Zak Crawley (Kent), Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire), Ollie Pope (Surrey), Matthew Potts (Durham), James Rew (Somerset), Joe Root (Yorkshire), Jamie Smith (Surrey), Josh Tongue (Nottinghamshire).

Coverage: Highlights of England’s home internationals and live broadcasts of The Hundred will be available on BBC TV, iPlayer, and the BBC Sport website, starting with the England Women’s T20 match against West Indies on 21 May.