There has been just one change to the squad beaten 2-1 by Pakistan, and that is an enforced one, with Jamie Smith missing out to attend the birth of his first child, and 21-year-old uncapped batter Jacob Bethell replacing him. And yet in amongst that is plenty to take note of as England look to bounce back from one of the low points of the Brendon McCullum era.

England Test squad to face New Zealand: Ben Stokes (c), Joe Root, Ollie Pope, Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, Harry Brook, Jordan Cox (wk), Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes, Matt Potts, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Jack Leach, Rehan Ahmed.

Smith paternity leave sets up Cox-Pope shootout

It’s no surprise that Ollie Pope keeps his spot at No.3. England have invested plenty in their vice-captain, and Jamie Smith’s planned absence on parental leave, now confirmed to be for the duration of the tour, means that now isn’t the time to think about any changes. But it also sets up an intriguing subplot going forward. Jordan Cox, set to take the gloves in Smith’s absence, delivered on his pre-season promise to “do a Harry Brook” in 2024 averaging more than 65 with four hundreds in Division One, and has the chance to assert his case for a full-time spot, as Brook himself did after an enforced absence in the 2022/23 winter. Pope had a poor series in Pakistan to continue an up and down year in the Test side. Should another fallow tour follow, Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes may have a decision to make.

Bethell the latest example of England's potential over performances policy

England, under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum, haven’t been afraid to take a punt on a Hollywood selection; in some ways, you almost feel they take a perverse pride in it, in looking beyond the numbers and plucking an unpolished diamond, ready for shining and making all their own. But until now, those picks have been reserved for players of a profile they don’t have in abundance: spinners and fast bowlers. Their batting call-ups have contained a hint of lateral thinking - Ben Duckett wasn’t opening for Notts when he got his go, and Jordan Cox and Jamie Smith don’t keep for their counties - but they have still favoured those among the most prolific batters in the country. Jacob Bethell, without a professional ton to his name, is not that.

Spin trio selection puts spotlight on Bashir

In a way, the main surprise in this squad is the continuity with the one that toured and got beaten in Pakistan. Not because anyone expected McCullum and Stokes to make a reactionary raft of changes, but because of the vastly different challenges New Zealand will present. Sticking with three spinners, in particular, is an intriguing move. While there is sense in covering all bases, with the spinners holding sway in one of Australia's victories in New Zealand earlier this year, there could also be a hint here of growing pressure on Shoaib Bashir. He is England’s project spinner, but after an excellent start to his Test career, he has faded, and averaged just under 50 with the ball in Pakistan. If England want a different young, point-of-difference tweaker, that’s Rehan Ahmed, and he can bat as well. And, for all his limitations, their best Test spinner right now might still be Jack Leach. Both are in the squad, and so the onus is on Bashir to prove he’s their man for the present and the future.

Pace rotation resisted as Ashes pecking order firms up

England have kept with the same group of quicks that bowled well in Pakistan, outshining their slow-bowling teammates. Josh Hull and Dillon Pennington, each in the Test frame this summer, will be with the Lions. There are those on the treatment table who could yet come back in next summer, Josh Tongue and Jofra Archer chief among them. And there are those on the outer but still with firm Test ambitions, such as Saqib Mahmood and Sussex’s Ollie Robinson. Still, England look to be settling on a preferred group to carry them through ten consecutive Tests against the world’s best two sides.

Cox and Rehan's continent hopping shows scheduling difficulties

For Jordan Cox, even before making his Test debut, it will have been a tiring winter. Having carried drinks in Multan, he was told to fly to the Caribbean, where an ODI debut likely awaits. Then he and Rehan Ahmed, who also left the Pakistan tour in quick time to get to the West Indies, will fly to New Zealand, as will Bethell. It shows the challenges of the schedule, which puts demands on cricket’s all-format stars, and the difficulty of planning to combat it. It’s all well and good pencilling in players to miss some tours and take part in others, but circumstances change. Was Rehan in England's plans before excelling at Rawalpindi? Ensuring the right players are in the right places without burning them out will be an important thing for McCullum to get right when he takes on both coaching roles at the start of 2025.

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