England name 15-player squad for three-Test series in South Africa
Joe Root captains the side, and Liam Patterson-White wins his first Test call-up as Stephen Fleming starts as head coach.
England's selectors named a 15-player squad on Monday for their three-Test series in South Africa, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said in a statement.
Joe Root will captain the side, which faces ICC Test world champions South Africa, with the first match starting on Dec. 17 at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg.
The series will be the first as England's Test head coach for Stephen Fleming, who flew to Perth last week to finalise selection and preparation plans with Rob Key, Marcus North and Ed Barney.
National selector Marcus North said the squad was strong and balanced, pointing to the team that beat Pakistan 3-0 at the end of the home summer.
Left-arm finger spinner Liam Patterson-White earns his first Test call-up after taking 42 wickets at an average of 25.11 in the Rothesay County Championship, the most by any spinner in Division One, North said.
Jacob Bethell returns to the Test squad after recovering from a knee injury suffered during the summer.
Six Test squad players who are not part of the white-ball series in Australia will fly early to South Africa with the England Lions for a preparation camp in Pietermaritzburg on Nov. 25.
The Lions will tour South Africa from Nov. 26 to Dec. 21, naming an 18-player red-ball squad and a 15-player 50-over squad, and they will play three 50-over matches and two first-class games against South Africa A.
The England Men's schedule includes a warm-up match against a CSA XI in Durban from Dec. 9 to 11, followed by the three Tests, with the third beginning at Newlands in Cape Town on Jan. 3.
England Test squad for South Africa
Joe Root (c), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Sonny Baker, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Sam Cook, Jordan Cox, Ben Duckett, Emilio Gay, Dan Lawrence, Liam Patterson-White, Ollie Robinson, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue.