An opener, spinner & fast bowlers - England's first Test decisions

England's attempt to rebuild from the rubble of the Ashes is about to begin. In the months since the horror show in Australia was completed in Sydney, there have been revelations about Harry Brook's nightclub punch-up, an Ashes review, a broken cheek for captain Ben Stokes, Brendon McCullum and Rob Key keeping their jobs and the impending arrival of Marcus North as the new national selector. Now a squad for the first Test against New Zealand on 4 June is due to be named, possibly as soon as Tuesday.

The players will gather for a camp in Loughborough on 25 May. In choosing their group to take on the stiff challenge of the Black Caps at Lord's, England will have to make decisions over their opening pair, spinner and pace bowlers. Zak Crawley might wonder why he is set to become an Ashes fall guy when so many around him have survived.

Crawley can have no complaints. No opener in Test history has been given as many opportunities at the top of the order as Crawley's 104 innings and averaged less than his 30. 52.

His early season form for Kent has been wretched, with a top score of 44 in five matches. Crawley's hack to be bowled in the second innings against Gloucestershire suggested a break from red-ball cricket might be no bad thing. Ben Duckett also had a disappointing Ashes, albeit with more credit in the bank than Crawley.