England’s pace plan to be ready for the Ashes at the end of the year is nearing its final phase. Now a year on from the transition from James Anderson’s retirement and almost two years on from Stuart Broad’s farewell, here’s who’s risen to the top of the pace pack, and who’s slipped down the pecking order.
A bit of housekeeping first. With two Tests left of the series against India, there’s scope for this list to change quite quickly. England have also had to endure a bit of an injury crisis, and not everyone on this list is currently fully fit. To be eligible for inclusion in the rankings, players must have been in an England squad after the 2023 Ashes series. The only exclusion from that list is Anderson.
Leaders of the pack
Jofra Archer
Despite having played one Test in four years, Archer would still have been near the top of this list had he not played against India at Lord’s. As it is, he made a fairytale comeback which justified the length of time and enormous amount of energy he and the ECB have put into making his red-ball ambitions a reality once again. Immediately when Archer steamed in at Lord’s, it was clear exactly why his return has been both so highly prized and anticipated. Those bumpers directed so cleanly at batter’s heads, the mid-90s extreme pace, he’s everything England want in their point of difference bowler. Now, the question becomes how to keep him on the park.
Mark Wood
Having been injured out of the first part of the summer, it’s hoped Wood will be fit and firing for the last India Test. Having both their premier quicks available at the same time is a luxury England have rarely had.
Gus Atkinson
After bursting onto the scene last summer, with astounding figures across both home series and continued success into the winter, Atkinson’s rise hit a speed bump when he struggled with the white-ball earlier this year. His early career has since hit a slight blockage following a hamstring injury, which he has now recovered enough from to be added to England’s squad. With everyone available, it’s hard to see how he doesn’t make the first-choice XI from now onwards.
Brydon Carse
A brilliant winter addition to the pack, Carse has had to bide his time to break into the Test mainstream. His numbers at home haven’t been quite as impressive as they were in New Zealand and Pakistan, but it should be factored in that he was used primarily as an opening bowler in the first two Tests against India, and found more success at Lord’s with Archer taking that role. Carse’s attributes with the older ball, especially away from home, just bump him into this group of leaders.
The middle-ground
Chris Woakes
Woakes has proved time and time again that he’s a master at home, and he has managed to step into the role of attack leader to fill the hole Anderson has left. But, while he’s been impressive at points against India, his returns haven’t matched up to what he’s previously managed in home conditions, especially over the first two Tests. Some of this can be put down to the shorter period of new-ball life this batch of Dukes seem to have, but with the tour to Australia likely to be followed by a bit of a reset, Woakes’ Test future could fade away with it.
Josh Tongue
Coming back from injury, blowing India’s tail away two Tests on the trot, Tongue has re-established himself firmly in the Test group. The only question mark is how to fit him in and what role he will play. England’s new-ball options to rotate through are Woakes, Atkinson, and Archer, while Wood has filled in with both the new ball and to inject pace later on. With Carse also a banker, Tongue is another option to rotate through.
The stragglers
Sam Cook
Cook was part of the squad for the first three India Tests without getting onto the park. His Test debut against Zimbabwe, perhaps reasonably, didn’t set the world alight after significant hype built up over his Kookaburra skills over the preceding year. Ultimately, England have preferred options with the new ball over Cook, and given that Cook’s skills are primarily in using that new ball, if they can field another option that has wider attributes they will do so. Despite waiting so long for his debut, it will be another tricky task for him to make his way through the periphery.
Jamie Overton
Overton, like Cook, has been involved in and around the Test group during the India series without playing. His inclusion was the most surprising of the original squad, given that his only other Test appearance came three years ago. But the injury crisis which is now abating meant depth had to be drawn from. It’s also not hard to see why Overton was appealing, as a tall bowler who gets pace and bounce to cover for others injured out of the squad. His ability with the bat also adds another tick next to his name. But, having not played three Tests into the series and Atkinson and Archer both fit again, his absence from the final XIs reflects his position in the pecking order.
Matthew Potts
One of the most interesting takeaways from Overton’s selection was where it left Potts. Potts has been in and out of England Test squads since making his debut in the 2021 summer. However, he’s not been able to establish a set role for himself. As a new-ball bowler for Durham, England have preferable options in that role. As the point of difference they initially hoped he would be, they also now have options with sharper attributes there than he does. Equally, with Stokes fit to bowl again, England can afford to field specialist seamers rather than one who gives them options to bowl at multiple points of the innings.
Olly Stone
Stone is another of the injured crew, and with only two Tests to his name in the past four years, it looks a hard path back. The key to that may be the Australia series, where he may sneak into the squad as a pace option to rotate through and manage injuries.
The rest
Three other players have been in England Test squads since the 2023 Ashes, but as it stands look a fair way off selection. Dillon Pennington was selected last summer but didn’t make his Test debut, and hasn’t been in an England squad since. There’s also Ollie Robinson, who’s been in the wickets for Sussex but hasn’t featured in an England squad since the series in India last year. Josh Hull also hasn’t played a Test match since his debut at The Oval last summer, and hasn’t been in a Test squad since the series against Pakistan last year.
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