Cook has been released, as has Overton.
If we win the series at Old Trafford then we might see some changes in the 5th test. I think Crawley and Pope will get the series though. Individually Crawley shouldn't be in the side, but as a partnership with Duckett they've been successful. Having to bowl to a left/right handed combination with the height difference makes it very difficult for a bowling attack to settle. I think England like how disruptive they are together. He's an infuriating player though. It's not easy to open the batting at test level but he keeps making the same mistakes time and time again and isn't showing any signs of improvement - in fact he's getting worse if anything!
Pope is a tricky one...number 3 isn't an easy position to bat in. You can be in very early and up against the new ball or come in when things are easier. The contrast between his 1st and 2nd innings (46avg-19avg) is vast though and surely points at a mentality issue?
Bethell hasn't played enough to directly compare, but number 3 is the only place I see him getting in. I can't see Stokes using him as our principle spinner. I checked that NZ series and the latest he came out to bat in the 6 innings he played was the 5th over! So he was thrown in at the deep end! An average of 52 suggests he coped alright with that, but his highest 1st innings score was 16.
