England Test squad for New Zealand tour announced, Jamie Smith left out

England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced a 16-player squad for England’s upcoming Test tour of New Zealand on Tuesday, October 29. England and New Zealand will play a three-match Test series in November and December.

England’s 16-player squad for the upcoming New Zealand tour features an exciting new face, 21-year-old Jacob Bethell, a promising batting all-rounder from Warwickshire. Jacob Bethell was handed his maiden Test call-up for New Zealand after making his debut in T20I and ODI cricket earlier this year.

Jacob Bethell earns maiden call-up as England announces Test squad for New Zealand tour

Jacob Bethell, who is known for his aggressive left-handed batting and skillful slow left-arm orthodox bowling, impressed the England selectors with his performance against Australia, and now he is in line to make his Test debut as well.

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Bethell is currently touring the Caribbean with England's white-ball team, and he will join the Test squad in New Zealand after fulfilling his limited-overs duties, alongside young talents Rehan Ahmed and Jordan Cox. Jamie Smith will be missing the New Zealand tour as he will be on paternity leave.

As Smith is set to welcome his first child, Cox will make his Test debut as England’s wicketkeeper in the upcoming three-match Test series against New Zealand, starting at Christchurch's Hagley Oval on November 28. However, the rest of the Test squad is largely similar to England's recent squad against Pakistan.

England squad for New Zealand Tests:

Ben Stokes (C), Rehan Ahmed, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Jordan Cox, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes

Meanwhile, England and New Zealand will play a two-day warm-up game at the Sir John Davies Oval, Queenstown, on November 23-24 before the upcoming three-match Test series gets underway on November 28 at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch.

Read Also: Kane Williamson insults team India after New Zealand win the series in Pune

The second Test match will be played in Wellington on December 6, while the third and final Test match will be held in Hamilton on December 14. Notably, the New Zealand cricket team is currently on the India tour, where they have already clinched their first-ever series on Indian soil.

The Kiwis have taken a 2-0 lead in the ongoing series, with the third and final Test match scheduled to take place on November 1 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. On the other hand, England is currently on the Caribbean tour, where they will pay three ODIs from October 31 in Antigua.

Here is the schedule for the New Zealand vs England Test series:

November 23-24: Two-day warm-up at Sir John Davies Oval, Queenstown

November 28-2 December: First Test at Hagley Oval, Christchurch

December 6-10: Second Test at Basin Reserve, Wellington

December 14-18: Third and Final Test at Seddon Park, Hamilton

Notably, the Ben Stokes-led England cricket team recently suffered a 1-2 Test series defeat in Pakistan. They lost the series after winning the first Test by a significant margin as Pakistan went with a turning surface to bring the tourists down to the knees.