Kent batsman Zak Crawley has been left out of the England Test squad to face New Zealand.
The 28 year old opener has paid the price for a difficult Ashes campaign in Australia and a poor start to the season for Kent.
His place in the squad goes to Durham opener Emilio Gay and he is likely to open alongside Ben Duckett.
England Men have named a 15-player squad for the Rothesay first Test against New Zealand at Lord’s, starting on Thursday 4 June 2026.
The squad includes three uncapped players at Test level – Durham top-order batter Emilio Gay, Hampshire fast bowler Sonny Baker and Somerset wicketkeeper-batter James Rew. Leicestershire spinner Rehan Ahmed, Surrey seamer Matthew Fisher and Sussex seamer Ollie Robinson return to the Test squad.
The England and Wales Cricket Board has also confirmed the appointment of Marcus North as England Men’s National Selector.
North joins the ECB from Durham County Cricket Club, where he has served as Director of Cricket since October 2018. In his new role, he will contribute to the selection of all England Men’s squads, from the senior teams through to the Lions and Young Lions programmes.
England Men’s squad for the Rothesay first Test against New Zealand:
Ben Stokes (Durham) – Captain
Rehan Ahmed (Leicestershire)
Gus Atkinson (Surrey)
Sonny Baker (Hampshire)
Shoaib Bashir (Derbyshire)
Jacob Bethell (Warwickshire)
Harry Brook (Yorkshire)
Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire)
Matthew Fisher (Surrey)
Emilio Gay (Durham)
James Rew (Somerset)
Ollie Robinson (Sussex)
Joe Root (Yorkshire)
Jamie Smith (Surrey)
Josh Tongue (Nottinghamshire)
Gay, 26, has been one of the standout performers in this season’s Rothesay County Championship. He has scored 552 runs at an average of 92 for Durham, including three centuries. The left-hander also scored four centuries in Division One last season and has impressed for the England Lions, including during the winter tour of Australia. Gay also has international experience, having previously represented Italy in three IT20 internationals.
Left-handed batter Rew continues to underline his pedigree for Somerset in the County Championship. He has been a consistent performer in Division One this season, scoring 392 runs at an average of 43.55, including a century against Nottinghamshire last month. At 22, he has scored 12 first-class centuries, the most by any player aged 22 or younger in the history of the County Championship. Rew has also been a prominent figure throughout the England pathway, representing the Young Lions and most recently impressing for the England Lions.
Hampshire fast bowler Baker has emerged as one of the quickest and most exciting young seamers in the county game, with the 22-year-old continuing to impress with his pace and attacking style across formats. After making his England white-ball debut in 2025, Baker has carried his momentum into the 2026 County Championship season, highlighted by a maiden five-wicket haul against Somerset. He has taken 14 wickets at an average of 26 this campaign. Baker has also featured prominently for England Lions in recent seasons, with his raw pace and wicket-taking ability marking him out as a bowler of significant long-term potential.
Ahmed, who is currently playing for Delhi Capitals in the IPL, has already established himself at Test level despite still being only 21, claiming 24 wickets in 10 Tests since becoming England Men’s youngest men’s Test debutant in Pakistan in 2022. Notably, all of his Test appearances to date have come overseas, meaning he is yet to play a Test match in England. In 2025, Ahmed enjoyed an outstanding County Championship campaign with Leicestershire, playing a key role in the club’s promotion with 23 wickets at just over 19 alongside more than 760 runs at an average of 50, including five centuries and a highest score of 136.
Surrey seamer Fisher is regarded as one of the most skilful seam bowlers in the county game following his move from Yorkshire ahead of the 2025 season. The 28-year-old, who made his England Test debut against the West Indies in 2022, enjoyed an impressive first season at The Kia Oval and has carried that form into the 2026 County Championship campaign, taking 11 wickets in his opening four matches, including figures of 6 for 144 against Sussex. Fisher also featured for England Lions during the winter tour of Australia.
Robinson last played Test cricket in February 2024 and will be looking to add to his 20 Test caps. He has started the season strongly with Sussex, where he has taken on the county captaincy and embraced the additional responsibility.
The squad will report for a training camp at Loughborough in the week commencing 24 May. Rehan Ahmed and Jacob Bethell, who are currently playing in the Indian Premier League, will return to England once their commitments with Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru have concluded.
England Men’s Managing Director, Rob Key, said:
“We’ve selected a squad that we believe has a really exciting blend of proven international quality, strong county form and players with huge potential to develop at Test level.
“Emilio, James and Sonny have all earned their opportunities through consistent performances and have impressed us not only with their talent, but with the way they’ve gone about their cricket in high-pressure situations.
“It’s also great to welcome back players like Rehan, Matt and Ollie, who all bring different qualities and experience to the group. Competition for places remains incredibly strong and that’s exactly where we want to be as a Test team.
“Jofra Archer is unavailable for the first Test. He continues to play in the IPL, and it is about building him up for red-ball cricket after a long six months on the road.”
As National Selector, North will work collaboratively on selection matters alongside the captains and coaches of the England Men’s red-ball and white-ball teams, Managing Director of England Men’s Cricket, Rob Key, Performance Director Ed Barney and Player Identification Lead David Court.
Raised in Western Australia, he represented his country in 21 Test matches and two One-Day Internationals. A left-handed batter, he enjoyed an extensive county cricket career across six counties.
Since taking charge at Durham in 2018, North has overseen significant progress both on and off the field and has earned widespread respect across the domestic game. Since 2025, he has also led both the men’s and women’s professional programmes at the club.
In his new role, North will oversee domestic cricket throughout the English summer, contribute to decisions regarding England Men’s central contracts, and work closely with the scouting network on player identification and succession planning. He will also collaborate with the ECB Science and Medicine team on player availability, workload management and programme planning.
On the appointment of North, Key, added:
“We were really pleased with the strength and depth of candidates throughout what was a thorough and rigorous process for the National Selector role.
“Marcus stood out through his knowledge of the domestic game, his experience across different environments and the relationships he has built throughout county cricket over a long period of time.
“He has been heavily involved in the county game for many years, both as a player and more recently during eight successful years as Director of Cricket at Durham, where he has earned huge respect across the game.
“Marcus also brings international pedigree from his time playing for Australia, and we believe his experience and understanding of the player pathway and high performance environment will be a real asset to England Men’s cricket.”
Marcus North, said:
“I am absolutely delighted to be appointed England Men’s National Selector. It is a tremendous honour to be entrusted with a role of such responsibility, and I am excited to contribute to the continued development of the England Men’s teams.
“Having spent the past several years working closely within the county game, I have seen first-hand the strength and depth of talent across the domestic system. I’m looking forward to working closely with the counties in identifying, supporting and selecting players who can thrive at International level.
“The opportunity to help shape the future of England Men’s teams is one I’m incredibly passionate about. I’m excited to get started working closely with Rob, Brendon, Ben, Harry and the wider performance team in building squads that can compete consistently and successfully across all formats.
“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time at Durham and would like to thank Tim Bostock for handing me the opportunity back in 2018. I will be forever grateful for the support shown by the Board, players, staff and supporters over the past eight years.”