An opener, spinner & fast bowlers - England's first Test decisions

In a spin

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Leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed has taken 22 Test wickets for England in his five Tests

Spin bowling was the area of England's Ashes masterplan left most exposed in Australia. After asking Shoaib Bashir to learn on the job, England then turned to batting all-rounder Will Jacks for four Tests, with predictable results.

In that sense, Jacks is the man in possession, and the battle to be England's number one spinner has appeared to be wide open.

There would be an irony in England ignoring Bashir, who was picked for Test cricket when he could not get a game for Somerset, and now could be left out despite playing regularly for new county Derbyshire.

Jack Leach remains probably the most reliable spinner in the country, while leg-spinner Mason Crane is bowling well for Glamorgan eight years after he won his only England cap. Nottinghamshire left-armer Liam Patterson-White, Sussex off-spinner Jack Carson and Northants all-rounder Calvin Harrison are all respected in county cricket.

Perhaps it is time for England to invest in Rehan Ahmed. In 2022, Ahmed was an original Bazball pick when, at 18, he became the youngest man to play for England.

He has hovered on the fringe of the England team since, with none of his five caps coming at home or as the sole spinner.

As a young leg-spinner, Ahmed will have times when his bowling goes off the boil, but he also has an X-factor. Root and Bethell are reasonable options if England need a spinner to hold an end.

With six first-class hundreds, Ahmed is an ideal number eight, meaning England would never have to worry about the tail-end batting as they rotate their seamers. When Stokes retires, Ahmed could move up the order as England's all-rounder.

Leicestershire's Ahmed is currently at the Indian Premier League, though his Delhi Capitals face a battle to reach the latter stages. England have also shown that an IPL stint is not a barrier to Test selection.

With England at a low ebb, Ahmed would bring some mystery, exuberance and excitement.

The fast lane

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Jofra Archer has been in good form in the IPL, taking 15 wickets for Rajasthan Royals

For all the talk of batting changes, it is England's pace-bowling department that is in the biggest state of flux.

This will be the first home summer since 2006 that England have been without all of James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes. Given Mark Wood is unlikely to play Test cricket again, there is a changing of the guard among England's seamers.

Many - almost all - of England's latest breed of pacemen are not new-ball bowlers by trade. There have even been suggestions Stokes could be an option to open the bowling. It makes the decision to nudge Woakes into retirement look premature.

The picture is clouded by Jofra Archer's involvement at the IPL, probably delaying his England return until the second Test. Brydon Carse has a broken wrist.

Of the two seamers nailed on to be in the squad for the first Test – Josh Tongue and Gus Atkinson – Tongue has just concussed Atkinson with two blows to the head during Nottinghamshire's Championship match against Surrey.

There are perhaps two or three pace-bowling spots up for grabs in the squad for the first Test, with plenty of candidates.

Matthew Potts has not had a sustained run in the England team and struggled when he was called into the team for the final Ashes Test. Surrey's Matthew Fisher was added to the Ashes squad when Wood was ruled out.

England have been in touch with the exiled Ollie Robinson, while Sam Cook has been in typically excellent form for Essex. Olly Stone, so unlucky with injuries, is back bowling with pace for Nottinghamshire.

Of the uncapped youngsters, Sonny Baker is a terrific prospect and ready to move on from two difficult white-ball debuts last year.

It is probably too soon for Lancashire's Mitchell Stanley, who is on England's radar despite playing only five first-class matches. Some insiders say he has the potential to be the best seamer in the country.

What else?

When England name the squad, it is likely to be followed by a round of media interviews from Key.

After the off-field problems in Australia, England imposed a midnight curfew for the white-ball tour of Sri Lanka and the T20 World Cup. Indications suggest it will remain in place for Stokes' Test team.

England were criticised for the thin nature of their backroom staff during the Ashes. In March, Key suggested they will not make any full-time appointments and instead will continue to use a rotating cast on an ad hoc basis.

That would leave questions on the support for the seamers. Tim Southee could be used again, while Troy Cooley is back on the payroll as elite national pace bowling lead.

Carl Hopkinson was used as a fielding coach for the white-ball team earlier this year, though there is no confirmation on a specialist for the Test side. Paul Collingwood has not been seen with England for almost a year.