Ben Stokes recovers from injury, set to captain England in upcoming Zimbabwe Test

TOI Sports Desk / TIMESOFINDIA.COM / May 2, 2025, 17:17 IST

Text Size

Small
Medium
Large

Ben Stokes, recovering from a hamstring injury, is set to captain England in their upcoming Test against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge, starting May 22. Uncapped Essex seamer Sam Cook and teammate Jordan Cox have been named in the 13-man squad. Cook's impressive first-class record and recent Lions tour performance earned him a spot.

Ben Stokes

England have named Ben Stokes as captain in their 13-man squad for the one-off Test against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge from May 22-25, 2025, after he recovered from hamstring surgery. The four-day Test marks Zimbabwe's first visit to England since 2003 and begins a crucial home summer for England.
The 33-year-old all-rounder had been sidelined since December after suffering his second hamstring tear in five months during the New Zealand tour. Despite not playing for Durham this season, Stokes has been cleared to lead the team.

Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!

Essex seamer Sam Cook could make his Test debut in Nottingham, as England deals with injuries to pacemen Mark Wood and Brydon Carse. The 27-year-old Cook brings impressive credentials, having claimed 318 first-class wickets at an average under 20 and performed well on the recent England Lions tour of Australia with 13 wickets in three matches.

Cook is joined by Essex teammate Jordan Cox as the second uncapped player in the squad. Nottinghamshire fast bowler Josh Tongue is also included and could return to Test cricket on his home ground, having last played during the 2023 Ashes.
Quiz: Who's that IPL player?
England and Zimbabwe have met in six Test matches, with England winning three and Zimbabwe yet to secure a victory. The remaining three encounters ended in draws.

What went wrong with CSK in IPL 2025

The Zimbabwe Test serves as preparation for England's upcoming five-Test series against India and the 2025/26 Ashes in Australia.
The complete England squad consists of Ben Stokes (captain), Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Sam Cook, Jordan Cox, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wicketkeeper), and Josh Tongue.

About the Author

TOI Sports Desk

The TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the essence of live sporting events and deliver compelling content to readers worldwide. From running live blogs for India and non-India cricket matches to global spectacles featuring Indian talents, like the Chess World Cup final featuring Praggnanandhaa and the Badminton World Championships semifinal featuring HS Prannoy, our live coverage extends to all mega sporting events. We extensively cover events like the Olympics, Asian Games, Cricket World Cups, FIFA World Cups, and more. The desk is also adept at writing comprehensive match reports and insightful post-match commentary, complemented by stats-based articles that provide an in-depth analysis of player performances and team dynamics. We track news wires for key stories, conduct exclusive player interviews in both text and video formats, and file content from print editions and reporters. We keep track of all viral stories, trending topics and produce our own copies on the subjects. We deliver accurate, engaging, and up-to-the-minute sports content, round the clock.

End of Article