England drop Jonny Bairstow for first two Tests against the West Indies

NEW DELHI: England has announced a 14-man squad for the first two Tests of the upcoming three-match series against the West Indies, with notable omissions including Jonny Bairstow and Ben Foakes.
The wicketkeeping duties will be taken over by the uncapped Jamie Smith, who is one of three new faces in the squad alongside seamers Gus Atkinson and Dillon Pennington.
Left-arm spinner Jack Leach was also left out, with his Somerset teammate Shoaib Bashir being the sole specialist slow bowler in the squad. Bairstow, who recently won his 100th cap, has struggled to regain top form since returning from a leg injury, while Foakes, despite his impressive glovework in India, has been overlooked due to his lower batting average.

Smith, who appears to align with England's aggressive 'Bazball' approach under coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes, has impressed in the County Championship this season, averaging 50 and scoring a stunning 155 against Warwickshire. However, questions remain about his glovework, given that Foakes is Surrey's preferred wicketkeeper.
The first Test at Lord's, starting on July 10, will be James Anderson's last before the 41-year-old paceman retires from the format. With Stuart Broad also having retired, England must now find replacements for the duo who have taken a combined 1,304 Test wickets.
Chris Woakes has been recalled for the first time since being named player of the series in last year's Ashes, while Ollie Robinson has been omitted despite warnings about his fitness. Durham's Matthew Potts, who has taken 23 wickets at under 30 in six Tests, has been recalled, and both Atkinson and Pennington have impressed on the county circuit.
Bashir, who was fast-tracked into the England squad in India and took 17 wickets in three Tests, has managed to displace Leach in the Test squad despite having to go on loan to Worcestershire for first-class cricket this season.