Ollie Robinson and Shoaib Bashir have been laid low by a stomach bug though the England camp hopes the spinner will recover in time for the Test. Robinson has been dropped.
“You don’t want to put anybody at risk so we’ve decided to keep them away from the team,” captain Ben Stokes said. “It’s the sensible thing to do. When you’ve got so many people in the same space all the time you want to limit the chance of it spreading.”
Fast bowler Gus Atkinson and Dan Lawrence, who bowls part-time off spin, are the other two members of the now 14-man group. Stokes has no contingency plan in mind.
“If that’s the case (that Bashir is too ill to play), we’ll have to consider what we think is best. I’ve not thought too far ahead.”
Stokes backed Mark Wood’s inclusion. “Having a fresh Wood on a wicket that you feel is going to offer some pace, it’s something that’s been consistent whenever we’ve gone with two seamers.
“Looking at having a bowler like Jimmy (Anderson) but wanting to have some pace and firepower to break the game open. With having two spinners, it allows us to play either conditions at different times.”
Stokes kept his chances of bowling here under wraps. “Every time we’ve picked
the team this tour it hasn’t been with any expectations of me bowling. If I do bowl any overs in this game it will again be a bonus.”
