Zak Crawley dropped as England announce squad for 1st Test against New Zealand

Somerset's James Rew and Northamptonshire's Emilio Gay have received Test call-ups to audition as Ben Duckett's opening partner, as selectors have dropped Zak Crawley from the England squad for the 1st Test against New Zealand. Crawley was Duckett's opening partner during the 2025-26 Ashes and had scored 273 runs at an average of 27.30, including a half-century.

Crawley had the opportunity to win over the selectors again by performing in the domestic circuit, but form has eluded him. He averages a meagre 19.50 after 10 innings for Kent in the ongoing County Championship Division Two.

Selectors have picked Gay in place of Crawley, who looks in ominous touch this season. He is the second-leading run-getter in Division Two this season with 552 runs in eight innings for Durham. Gay averages 92.00 and has already struck three tons and a half-century.

He was Durham's leading run-accumulator before their relegation during the County Championship Division One. Gay had struck four centuries in his tally of 954 runs, averaging 45.42.

Right-arm seamer Ollie Robinson, who last played a Test match for the Three Lions in Ranchi in February 2024, has also earned a recall. The squad is the first under the watch of England's newly appointed national selector, Marcus North. North previously served as the director of cricket at Durham.

Meanwhile, Rew's inclusion provides England with a back-up wicketkeeper and a cover for Jamie Smith. He has notched up 392 runs in nine games for Somerset this season in the County Championship Division One, averaging 43.55, including a ton and three fifties.

Jacob Bethell will most likely bat at No. three for England, having pipped Ollie Pope for the role. The southpaw scored a memorable ton at the SCG in the fifth and final Ashes Test. He is currently playing for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the IPL.

Pope has not been retained in the squad after he couldn't convert his starts in the first three games of the Ashes and had to make way for Bethell for the Boxing Day and the New Year's Test at the MCG and the SCG, respectively.

All three of Mark Wood, Brydon Carse and Jofra Archer were unavailable for selection. Wood is working his way gradually from a knee injury he sustained during the first Ashes Test in Perth. Carse hurt his right hand during a training session for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and was ruled out for the remainder of the season. Archer is currently with Rajasthan Royals (RR), and Key informed that he was unavailable for selection for the 1st Test.

England squad for 1st Test against New Zealand

Ben Stokes (c), Rehan Ahmed, Gus Atkinson, Sonny Baker, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Ben Duckett, Matthew Fisher, Emilio Gay, James Rew, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wk), Josh Tongue