Ollie Pope to Captain England Against Sri Lanka Amid Squad Changes

Ollie Pope will captain England in their first Test against Sri Lanka at Old Trafford. Injuries to Ben Stokes and Zak Crawley prompt Matthew Potts and Dan Lawrence to return. Harry Brook named vice-captain. England aims to build on their 3-0 series win against the Windies.

England wicketkeeper-batter Ollie Pope is set to captain the national team in their first Test against Sri Lanka at Old Trafford, Manchester, starting Wednesday and running through Sunday.

The England Cricket Board (ECB) announced on Monday that Matthew Potts and Dan Lawrence have been included in the squad following injuries to Ben Stokes and Zak Crawley. According to the ECB, 'England Men have announced their XI for the first Rothesay Men's Test match against Sri Lanka, starting at Emirates Old Trafford starting on Wednesday, 21 August. With Ben Stokes (hamstring) and Zak Crawley (finger) both missing through injury, Durham seamer Matthew Potts returns to the side for the first time since June 2023. Surrey batter Dan Lawrence will open the batting in Crawley's absence.'

A left hamstring tear sustained during The Hundred has sidelined Stokes for the rest of the English summer, causing him to miss the entire two-match series against Sri Lanka. The ECB also named Harry Brook as the vice-captain for the three-match series, supporting captain Ollie Pope. 'Yorkshire middle-order batter Harry Brook has been named vice-captain for the three-match series and will support captain Ollie Pope,' read the statement. England, who recently completed a 3-0 series sweep against the Windies to move to 6th place in the World Test Championship standings, aim to maintain their momentum against Sri Lanka, according to the ICC.

The series' second match is scheduled for August 29 at Lord's, while the final Test will be held at Kennington Oval on September 6. England's Playing Eleven includes Dan Lawrence, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (C), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith (WK), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Matthew Potts, Mark Wood, and Shoaib Bashir. (ANI)

(With inputs from agencies.)