England Reinstates Lawrence, Carse, Pope, and Cook for Pakistan Tests

England has announced the recall of Dan Lawrence, Brydon Carse, Ollie Pope, and Sam Cook for the first test against Pakistan, set to begin on August 19, 2026, in Leeds. Jacob Bethell will miss the three-match series due to a right knee injury.

Lawrence, who last played for England two years ago, is expected to bat at No. 6, while Jamie Smith is likely to follow him in the batting order. Jordan Cox will take Bethell's place at first drop, having made his test debut in June against New Zealand. Carse returns to the squad after recovering from a right hand injury that kept him out of the recent series against New Zealand.

Ollie Pope returns to the team after being dropped during the Ashes series, and Sam Cook is included following his previous test appearance against Zimbabwe. The team is under the leadership of returning captain Joe Root, with Marcus Trescothick serving as interim coach. England has struggled recently, losing seven of its last nine tests and not winning a series since December 2024.