England name 15-man squad for final Test against Pakistan

BIRMINGHAM: England have announced their 15-member squad for the third and final Test against Pakistan, with Sonny Baker retaining his place while pacer Matthew Fisher has been left out of the group.

England have already wrapped up the three-match series after winning the opening two Tests and will now target a 3-0 clean sweep when the final match begins at Edgbaston in Birmingham on September 9.

The hosts began the series with a commanding innings-and-103-run victory at Headingley before producing another strong performance at Lord’s, where they beat Pakistan by 194 runs to take an unassailable 2-0 lead.

Baker, who was included in England’s squad for the second Test, has kept his place for the series finale. Fisher, however, has been omitted from the 15-player group.

England’s impressive results have also boosted their position in the ongoing ICC World Test Championship cycle.

Their victory at Lord’s lifted them above Sri Lanka into sixth position in the WTC standings, giving the team further incentive to finish the series on a high.

Pakistan, meanwhile, remain at the bottom of the WTC table and face the difficult task of salvaging some pride in Birmingham.

The final Test will also come amid significant changes within Pakistan’s camp following the disappointing results.

The Pakistan Cricket Board made sweeping changes after the Lord’s defeat, sending seven players back home.

Head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul were also removed from their respective positions following the team’s poor run.

Seven replacements have subsequently been added to Pakistan’s squad as the board attempts to reshape the team ahead of the final Test.

White-ball head coach Mike Hesson has meanwhile taken charge of the red-ball side for the remainder of the series.

For England, the final Test offers an opportunity to complete a convincing series sweep on home soil. Pakistan, on the other hand, will be desperate to avoid a clean sweep and return home with at least one victory from the tour.

The Edgbaston contest is therefore set to carry contrasting significance for both teams: England will be chasing another win and valuable WTC points, while Pakistan will be fighting to end a turbulent tour on a positive note.

England squad for third Test

Joe Root (c), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Sonny Baker, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Sam Cook, Jordan Cox, Ben Duckett, Emilio Gay, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue.