SYDNEY: England have strengthened their squad for the fifth Ashes Test with the inclusion of seamer Matthew Potts and spinner Shoaib Bashir, as they aim to finish the series on a high against a dominant Australia side.
After a thrilling four-wicket win in Melbourne, the tourists hope to carry momentum into Sydney and end the series with pride.
Matthew Potts, the only unused fast bowler from England’s original 16-man squad, replaces Gus Atkinson, who was forced out of the Melbourne Test due to a hamstring injury.
Fellow pacers Jofra Archer and Mark Wood have also been sidelined Wood (knee) played only the first Test in Perth, while Archer was ruled out after the Adelaide Test with a side strain.
Although Australia have already won the series and retained the urn, Matthew Potts, who has 10 Test caps, is set to make his return in Sydney on Sunday.
Shoaib Bashir and Will Jacks will compete for the final squad spot. Bashir, initially England’s leading spinner, has yet to feature in the series, with all-rounder Jacks previously preferred.
Australia lead the five-Test series 3-1, but opener Zak Crawley said finishing 3-2 would still be a “pretty good series” for England.
“There’s a huge difference internally between losing 4-1 and finishing 3-2,” Crawley said. “It shows how united the team is. Even if results don’t go our way, putting in a strong performance this week would say a lot about the group.”
The Sydney Cricket Ground’s head curator, Adam Lewis, faces pressure to prepare a pitch that offers a fair contest between bat and ball, after Melbourne’s fast-bowler-friendly track was labelled “unsatisfactory” by the International Cricket Council.
SCG staff are targeting six millimetres of grass, down from 10 in Melbourne, although rain is forecast on Sunday and Monday.
“The weather is the only factor beyond our control,” Lewis said. “We’re focused on delivering a pitch that provides a fair contest for both batsmen and bowlers.”
England squad:
Ben Stokes (capt), Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue
