England has officially announced its 12-player squad for the upcoming first Test against New Zealand, set to begin on Thursday at Lord's. Shoaib Bashir has been chosen as the first-choice spinner, despite not participating in the recent Ashes series. Ollie Robinson makes his return to the Test team for the first time since February 2024, while spinner Rehan Ahmed has been dropped from the squad. In a notable shift, two uncapped players, Emilio Gay and Sonny Baker, have been included in the lineup. Zak Crawley has been left out following a disappointing performance during the Ashes, and fast bowler Jofra Archer is also absent after his participation in the recent Indian Premier League. This Test series against New Zealand is significant for England, as it represents their first competitive matches since their 4-1 defeat to Australia in the Ashes. The series will consist of three Tests, with subsequent matches scheduled at The Oval and Trent Bridge later this month.