The ECB confirmed on 9 November 2026 that England's selectors have named a 15-player squad, captained by Joe Root, for a three-Test series in South Africa starting on 17 December. Uncapped left-arm finger spinner Liam Patterson-White earns his first Test call-up and Jacob Bethell returns after a knee injury. The series will be Stephen Fleming's first as England Men's Test head coach.
What Was Announced
Test squad:
- Joe Root (Yorkshire, captain)
- Jofra Archer (Sussex)
- Gus Atkinson (Surrey)
- Sonny Baker (Hampshire)
- Jacob Bethell (Warwickshire)
- Harry Brook (Yorkshire)
- Sam Cook (Essex)
- Jordan Cox (Essex)
- Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire)
- Emilio Gay (Durham)
- Dan Lawrence (Surrey)
- Liam Patterson-White (Nottinghamshire)
- Ollie Robinson (Sussex)
- Jamie Smith (Surrey)
- Josh Tongue (Nottinghamshire)
National selector Marcus North said these were the only two changes from the squad that beat Pakistan 3-0. He said Patterson-White took 42 County Championship Division One wickets at 25.11, the most of any spinner.
The England Lions will tour South Africa from 26 November to 21 December.
Lions red-ball squad: Shoaib Bashir, Brydon Carse, James Coles, Mason Crane, Henry Crocombe, Matthew Fisher, Jack Haynes, George Hill, Eddie Jack, Ben Mayes, Ben McKinney, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, James Rew, Thomas Rew, Mitch Stanley, Olly Stone, Asa Tribe.
Lions 50-over squad: Rehan Ahmed, Brydon Carse, Mason Crane, Adam Finch, Matthew Fisher, Calvin Harrison, Jack Haynes, George Hill, Ben Mayes, Ben McKinney, Ollie Pope, James Rew, Naavya Sharma, Ekansh Singh, Asa Tribe.
What It Means
England play a warm-up against a CSA XI in Durban on 9-11 December, then:
- First Test: 17-21 December, Wanderers, Johannesburg
- Second Test: from 26 December, Centurion Park
- Third Test: 3-7 January, Newlands, Cape Town
Six squad members not in the Australia white-ball series fly out early for a camp in Pietermaritzburg. Brook, Bethell and Cox join after the fourth T20 in Sydney on 29 November.
Source: ECB news.