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London: England left out Jonny Bairstow from a 14-man squad announced Sunday for the first two Tests of next month's three-match series against the West Indies, with wicketkeeping duties set to be taken over by the uncapped Jamie Smith.
There was no place in the squad either for Ben Foakes, the first-choice wicketkeeper in a Surrey team where the 23-year-old Smith is often deployed as a specialist batsman.
Smith was one of three uncapped players in the squad, with seamers Gus Atkinson and Dillon Pennington included as England look to rebuild ahead of the 2025/26 Ashes series in Australia.
But left-arm spinner Jack Leach was omitted, with his Somerset team-mate Shoaib Bashir the lone specialist slow bowler in the squad.
Bairstow won his 100th cap in England's previous Test, against India in Dharamsala, but a top score of 38 in 10 innings means he could now have played his last Test.
Since spending nearly a year out of the game following a horrifying leg break in a freak accident on a golf course, Bairstow has struggled to regain top form.
Foakes was England's wicketkeeper during their 4-1 series loss in India and was widely applauded for his work behind the stumps on awkward, spin-friendly, pitches.
But he averages under 30 with the bat in Test cricket and England would, ideally, like more runs from their wicketkeeper.
Smith appears in tune with the aggressive 'Bazball' approach England have adopted under coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes.
He averages 50 in the County Championship this season for title-holders and made a stunning 155 in 179 balls against Warwickshire earlier in the campaign.
Smith has already represented England, playing twice in last year's low-key one-day international series against Ireland.
But questions are bound to be asked about his glovework, given Foakes is Surrey's preferred wicketkeeper.
The first Test at Lord's starts on July 10, with the match set to be England great James Anderson's last before the 41-year-old paceman retires from the format.
With fellow new-ball bowler Stuart Broad having retired after last year's drawn home Ashes series, England must now decide how to replace two bowlers who have taken a monumental 1,304 Test wickets between them.
The experienced Chris Woakes was recalled Sunday for the first time since being named player of the series in last year's Ashes.
Injuries, however, have deprived England of several rising stars but Sussex seamer Ollie Robinson, who has had repeated warnings about his fitness, was still omitted on Sunday -- just days after being hit for a record 43 in an over by Leicestershire's Louis Kimber.
Durham's Matthew Potts has been recalled instead, having taken an encouraging 23 wickets at under 30 in six Tests following a debut in 2022, with both Atkinson and Pennington impressing on the county circuit.
Bashir, 20, was fast-tracked into the England squad in India and responded with 17 wickets in three Tests.
But, having been unable to displace Leach at Somerset, he had to go on loan to Worcestershire for first-class cricket this season.
Nevertheless, he has still managed to knock Leach out of the Test squad.
