England vs Pakistan: Should hosts rotate bowling attack by resting likes of Jofra Archer in third Test at Edgbaston?

08.09.2026, 08:48 skysports.com

As a Test summer during which English cricket appeared to be in crisis nears its end, Joe Root's side go into their final fixture against Pakistan with the only major talking point being whether the bowling attack will be rotated.

Barring the discovery of any more England off-field issues before the start of the third Test at Edgbaston on Wednesday, it's Pakistan making all the noise after sacking their head coach and replacing seven members of their touring squad following defeats at Headingley and Lord's.

Brydon Carse remains absent from England's 15-player group at Edgbaston after the fast bowler was briefly arrested following an incident outside a Derby nightclub in August. Fellow quick Matthew Fisher has been dropped, but the rest of the group were all part of the squad at Lord's last time out.

With a series victory sealed, England could choose to give some of their cross-format players a rest ahead of upcoming white-ball contests with Sri Lanka.

If the third Test were to go all five days, the first of three T20 internationals would start just two days later, before three 50-over matches follow later in September.

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Perhaps the biggest positive to come out of the series so far has been the performance of England's new-look pace attack, made up of Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Ollie Robinson and Josh Tongue.

Three of the four are also part of both England's T20 and ODI squads to face Sri Lanka, with only Robinson not currently part of the white-ball setup.

Ahead of England revealing their final Test XI of the summer, Sky Sports assess whether the incumbents should be rested, and the merits of those who could replace them.

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Jofra Archer - England's star bowler has had a very encouraging summer fitness wise, performing at a consistently high level in the four out of five Tests he's played in.

Given Archer only returned to Test cricket last summer after more than four years out of the longest form of the game, England would be wise to take every opportunity to maintain the 31-year-old's freshness.

Speaking to the media on Monday, Archer said: "My body is in a good place, the team is in a good place, and everyone is in a good place. I just want to play cricket."

While it's good to hear him say such things, there is no doubt that a fit Archer walks straight into any England XI, so the focus should be on ensuring that's the condition he remains in ahead of next summer's home Ashes.

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Gus Atkinson - The Surrey quick has also played four out of five Tests so far this summer, with his only absence coming when he was made unavailable for selection for the second Test against New Zealand after being involved in an incident at a nightclub, alongside former skipper Ben Stokes.

Atkinson hasn't bowled badly by any means against Pakistan, but has had little reward, claiming just one of the 38 Pakistan wickets that have fallen across the two games.

With that in mind, there is a strong argument that of the three quicks also playing white-ball cricket, Atkinson should be given another opportunity to fill his boots against a fragile Pakistan batting line-up before returning to Test action against South Africa in December.

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Josh Tongue - The Nottinghamshire quick is the only member of England's bowling attack to have played all five Tests this summer.

Those performances, along with strong showings before that against Australia and India have made him undroppable for incoming head coach Stephen Fleming.

Bowling consistently up and around 90 miles per hour is not easy, and as with Archer, England would be wise to take the opportunity to rest this athlete before he is called upon with the white ball.

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Ollie Robinson - The star of the series, Robinson has taken 16 Pakistan wickets at a remarkable average of just 7.18 and an economy of 2.05.

The same old injury issues appeared to have halted the momentum he built with a fine first Test performance against New Zealand in June, with knee soreness ruling him out of the next game before he was overlooked for the series finale.

Given the 32-year-old won't be playing white-ball cricket, he should embrace the opportunity to lead England's attack at Edgbaston and prove he's got the durability to complete a series, albeit one where the bowling attack have had things all their own way.

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Sonny Baker - Perhaps the most exciting member of England's fast bowling ranks at the age of just 23, Baker only got called up to the squad for the second Test at Lord's because of Carse's off-field antics. The fact he's been retained over Fisher suggests he at least impressed in the nets at Lord's, and stand-in coach Marcus Trescothick could now reward him.

Baker had a challenging debut when England were in crisis for the second Test against New Zealand, managing match figures of just 3-161 in the defeat at The Oval.

Given the selectors can never be sure when injuries might hit and Baker could be needed, allowing him the opportunity to get more Test experience and build his confident in this fixture could be a smart move.

However, the fact he is also in England's white-ball squads to face Sri Lanka means opportunities can also be given to him in those formats.

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Sam Cook - Similarly to Baker, Cook has just one Test appearance to his name - that didn't go very well.

The Essex quick struggled to make an impact as he took just one wicket during England's victory over Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge in May 2025.

However, he's put together another impressive County Championship campaign, taking 39 wickets in nine matches at an average of just over 19.

At the age of 29, he possesses less room for development than Baker, and would appear to be an option for sooner rather than later. For that reason, it could be argued it makes sense to give him another opportunity to prove himself this week.

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Shoaib Bashir - England's lead spinner doesn't turn 23 until October, but has already been through quite a bit during his international career.

Fast-tracked into the side by Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum in 2024, Bashir was being prepared for England's trip to Australia last winter, but then surprisingly didn't feature in any of the five Tests.

That saga looked as though it may put his Test career on hold, but Bashir was selected again this summer and played in two Tests against New Zealand. He wasn't needed at Lord's, but then struggled at Trent Bridge as he returned match figures of 3-147.

A spinner is often deemed necessary at Edgbaston, but with spin not necessarily a key factor for England's big upcoming Test series in South Africa this winter and at home to Australia next summer, assessing the pace options may be seen as a priority.

Watch day one of England's third Test against Pakistan, from Edgbaston, live on Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Main Event from 10am on Wednesday September 9 (first ball 11am). Not got Sky? Latest Sky Sports deals or stream contract-free with NOW.

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