Despite fierce criticism, spinner Adil Rashid has been included into the England playing XI for the team's first Test of the five-match series against India at Edgbaston in Birmingham, starting Wednesday.
Earlier, Rashid's recall for his 11th Test provoked a furious response, given he signed a limited-overs only contract with Yorkshire for this season. Yorkshire and England greats Geoffrey Boycott and Michael Vaughan were among those who slammed the decision to call-up Rashid, without him having first played any red-ball County Championship cricket this term.
Talking about Rashid's inclusion in the side, captain Joe Root said: "With the amount of right handers in India’s team, Rashid gives us a really attacking spinning option and he’s in confident form. He’s gone about his business just as he does in the one-day side, he doesn’t seem affected at all. I’ve known Adil for a long time. I think he’s grown as a player massively in the last couple of years, he has a better understanding of what he wants to do."
Out of the 13 member squad named for the first Test, Jamie Porter and Moeen Ali find themselves out of the side.
Meanwhile, Jos Buttler has been named England's vice-captain for the series and on his elevation to this position, skipper Root said: "Jos is vice-captain of the white-ball side, thinks hugely about the game and is respected in the dressing room. We are thinking about the long-term and Jos is a big part of that."
Anderson, England's all-time leading Test wicket-taker, had been assisting Root since the start of the last Ashes after Stokes was stood down from the vice-captaincy position following an alleged late-night incident outside a Bristol nightclub in September.
Top-order batsman Dawid Malan remains in the XI, with all-rounder Ben Stokes and Surrey left-arm quick Sam Curran providing seam bowling support to the veteran new-ball pairing of James Anderson and Stuart Broad.
England Playing XI: Alastair Cook, Keaton Jennings, Joe Root (c), Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow (w), Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Adil Rashid, Stuart Broad, James Anderson
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