Crocombe's England Call
England calls up uncapped Henry Crocombe to Test squad for injured Ollie Robinson
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Key Points
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England said Robinson’s fitness check is a precautionary scan after he “experienced knee soreness after a training session” (with the ECB/England quote noting the scan timing).
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Crocombe’s immediate form before the call-up: he was playing for Sussex against Glamorgan and took “2 for 41” in the first innings at Hove.
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Crocombe’s recent wicket return is described as strong even beyond career totals—he has “21 Division One wickets at 28.61” this season, plus a 4-65 for England Lions against South Africa A.
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England had been tracking Crocombe in the background: he has been “namechecked by England coach Brendon McCullum and managing director Rob Key in recent weeks.”
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The squad shake-up also included other personnel changes beyond Crocombe and Robinson: Jofra Archer and Jordan Cox were added to the Test squad alongside the second-Test seam group.
England called up uncapped Sussex seamer Henry Crocombe to their second Test squad on June 13 as cover for Ollie Robinson, who reported knee soreness after training and faced precautionary scans ECB. The news lands as England already prepare without captain Ben Stokes and seamer Gus Atkinson, both suspended after a nightclub incident in Chelsea following the Lord's victory.
The second Test against New Zealand starts at The Kia Oval on June 17, with Joe Root named interim captain Mirror Sport. England's bowling lineup for that match now hinges almost entirely on the results of Robinson's knee scan.
Robinson's Knee Scare Puts Crocombe on Debut Watch
Robinson was England's standout bowler at Lord's, taking 7 wickets for 77 runs in his first Test since February 2024 ca.sports.yahoo.com. Then, just days later, he felt soreness in his knee during a training session. England moved quickly, calling Crocombe in the same morning the scans were arranged.
If the scan reveals a serious problem, Crocombe is likely to make his Test debut alongside Jofra Archer aol.com. Sussex coach James Kirtley said Crocombe has "that confidence that he belongs at this level" and has played in every Sussex match this season — a rare feat for a fast bowler.
Crocombe's Numbers Make Him More Than an Emergency Pick
Crocombe, 24, stands 6ft 4in and has taken 104 wickets in 47 first-class matches cric-mate.com. This season alone he has claimed 21 Division One wickets at an average of 28.61 for Sussex. In his most recent match before the call-up, he took 2 for 41 against Glamorgan at Hove.
His England Lions record also stands out. He took 4 for 65 against South Africa A — the kind of performance that puts a bowler on selectors' radar. England head coach Brendan McCullum and managing director Rob Key had both name-checked Crocombe in recent weeks uk.headtopics.com. This call-up was not a surprise inside the England setup.
Stokes and Atkinson Suspended After Chelsea Nightclub Altercation
The squad crisis deepened before Robinson even reported his injury. After England's 115-run win at Lord's, Stokes and Atkinson stayed out past a midnight curfew and visited The Rex Rooms nightclub in Chelsea 24newshd.tv. An altercation followed, and a member of England's security detail needed stitches. The ECB launched a "breach of team protocol" investigation by midday on June 8.
By June 10, both Stokes and Atkinson were omitted from the squad and the Cricket Regulator opened a formal inquiry. Rob Key was reported to be "furious," having reintroduced strict conduct rules after England's difficult Ashes tour in late 2025. Michael Vaughan warned on Sky Sports that "Bazball" was drifting into a "Boozeball" culture ca.sports.yahoo.com.
England Assemble a Patchwork Pace Attack for The Oval
To keep their options open, England added several seamers beyond Crocombe. Josh Tongue, Sonny Baker, and Matthew Fisher all joined the squad as seam cover aol.com. Jofra Archer was recalled after his IPL involvement and is expected to lead the attack if Robinson misses out. Jordan Cox was also added on the batting side.
The result is one of England's most unsettled pace groups in recent memory. Stokes is suspended. Atkinson is suspended. Robinson is injured. If Crocombe does play on June 17, he will step into a very high-pressure situation — but the evidence says England have been planning for exactly this moment cric-mate.com.
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