Saqib Mahmood will make his long-awaited Test debut for England after the management decided against risking Ollie Robinson for the second Test with West Indies.
With Mark Wood ruled out because of an elbow problem, Mahmood, 25, has been given the nod in the only change to the England XI from the drawn first Test in Antigua.
Robinson missed that match after suffering a back spasm. The 28-year-old bowled the equivalent of ten overs in the nets on Monday and the medical staff were happy with how he went but Joe Root, the captain, and Paul Collingwood, the coach, decided not to risk him only 12 days after he suffered the problem in a warm-up game at Coolidge. The Sussex seamer had similar trouble in the final Test in Australia in January.
Mahmood has done his time in England squads. He has featured in 19 white-ball games over the past three years and was named in two squads during the Test series with India last summer. Somewhat surprisingly, he did not make the Ashes tour party, so he probably owes his place in the Caribbean to the omissions of Stuart Broad and James Anderson.
Mahmood can be considered a protégé of Anderson’s, having played a fair amount of red-ball cricket alongside him for Lancashire, often sharing the new ball. “I’ve looked up to this guy pretty much all my life,” Mahmood said two years ago.
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Root said of the 6ft 2inMahmood: “He is very mature for a guy who hasn’t played a huge amount of international cricket. He has an understanding of how he wants to operate. He’s been very impressive.
“He’s got a slightly different trajectory and will give us a point of difference — he has done when he’s played in other formats. Clearly he has good control, especially if the ball moves with reverse-swing.”
Of Wood’s absence, Root added: “As someone who can bowl 90mph, it’s obviously disappointing. His fitness has been exceptional in the last little period and the value of what he’s produced has been exceptional. Of course you’ll miss someone like that.”
A team spokesman said of Robinson: “He is progressing well and will continue to work on his fitness and bowling loads ahead of a potential recall for the third Test.”
England XI for second Test: Zak Crawley, Alex Lees, Joe Root (capt), Dan Lawrence, Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Foakes (wkt), Chris Woakes, Craig Overton, Saqib Mahmood, Jack Leach.
West Indies v England, second Test
Kensington Oval, Barbados
Starts Wednesday, 2pm
TV: BT Sport. Radio: talkSPORT2
