Key batter ruled out as England name squad for Sri Lanka Tests

Regular opener Zak Crawley will miss the series due to a fractured right little finger sustained in the third Test of the recently concluded series against the West Indies, which the hosts won 3-0.

Also ruled out is seamer Dillion Pennington, who was a part of the Test squad for the West Indies series. He will miss the series after sustaining a hamstring injury while playing in The Hundred competition.

On the other hand, there are call-ups for Jordan Cox and Olly Stone.

Cox, a middle-order batter with Essex, was a part of the England white-ball setup during their tour of Pakistan last year. Cox has been the leading run-scorer for Essex in this season's County Championship, scoring 763 runs at an average of 69.36, with three tons to his name.

For Stone, this is a return to the England lineup for the first time since 2021. The Nottinghamshire speedster has played three Tests, with 10 wickets at an average of 19.4.

The first Test between the two sides commences on 21 August in Manchester. The series will be a part of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25. Sri Lanka are placed fourth with a point percentage of 50, while England are sixth after their series whitewash against West Indies.

ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 Standings

England squad:

Ben Stokes (c), Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Jordan Cox, Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood