Adil Rashid faced further pressure ahead of his controversial recall to the England Test side for their series opener against India at Edgbaston when it was announced on Tuesday he would be the lone specialist spinner in their XI.
READ: Rashid is a spoilt child, says Boycott
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed that offspinner Moeen Ali had been left out from a 13-man squad.
READ: India aim to spoil England’s 1000-Test party
That leaves Yorkshire legspinner Rashid as England’s sole designated slow bowler, although his county colleague Joe Root, the England captain, can supplement his top-order batting with occasional off-spin.
England have also omitted uncapped Essex seamer Jamie Porter.
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 in the first of a five-Test series starting Wednesday.
England XI for 1st Test: Alastair Cook, Keaton Jennings, Joe Root (c), Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes, Adil Rashid, Sam Curran, Stuart Broad, James Anderson.