Four players on England’s radar in 2025: Ben McKinney, Sam Cook and more

The England Test side face a potentially defining year in the Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes era, with a home series against India and an Ashes Down Under on the horizon.

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Whilst a shake-up of the white ball set-up is currently in the spotlight following a dismal tour of India and Champions Trophy campaign earlier this year, there are still question marks around the make-up of the Test side as England continue to build towards regaining the urn for the first time since 2015.

Wicketkeeper Jamie Smith and seamer Gus Atkinson impressed coming into the team last summer, whilst Brydon Carse was the find of the winter alongside Jacob Bethell.

As the 2025 Rothesay County Championship is upon us, we take a look at four players who could push their case to be involved with the Test side in the near future.

Ben McKinney (Durham) – Age 20

A 6ft 7ins aggressive opening batter, McKinney captained England at the Under-19 World Cup last year and spent the winter with the England Lions squad, where he scored a fittingly ‘Bazball’ style run-a-ball 110 against Australia A.

After a breakthrough campaign with Durham in 2024, including a maiden ton against Nottinghamshire at Chester-le-Street, left-handed McKinney is expected to have a more prominent role at the top of the order alongside captain Alex Lees this season.

England are currently very resolute in their support for Zak Crawley but after the failed Dan Lawrence experiment against Sri Lanka last August, McKinney could well be next in line should the need for a change arise again.

Sam Cook (Essex) – Age 27

The standout seam bowler on the county circuit for a sustained period of time and having established a prolific new-ball partnership with Jamie Porter, Cook could consider himself rather unlucky not to have already received a Test call-up.

His control and ability to swing the ball both ways has seen him take 311 first-class wickets at an average of less than 20 since his debut in 2016.

He is widely viewed as the natural replacement to James Anderson, but his relative lack of pace feels a major factor as to why he has continued to be overlooked.

Chris Woakes currently occupies a similar role, though injury to Mark Wood and constant fitness concerns around England’s battery of quicks may finally present an opportunity to Cook this summer in what is an action-packed schedule.

Sonny Baker (Hampshire) – Age 22

More of a wildcard fast bowling option, but one that certainly fits the current England mould of express pace, Baker has yet to feature in the County Championship and has more appearances in the Hundred than the T20 Blast.

The bustling quick has struggled with injuries since making his debut in the Royal London One-Day Cup in 2021 with Somerset – but has this season joined Hampshire with the hope of kickstarting his career, featuring for the club in the Global Super League over the winter, where he reached speeds in excess of 90 mph.

Baker also impressed with the England Lions in Australia, taking 3-60 in what was his only first-class outing to date, earning himself a development central contract similar to Leicestershire’s Josh Hull.

He could be the next young gun to be fast-tracked into the Test side this year.

James Coles (Sussex) – Age 21

Sussex’s youngest-ever first-class debutant broke onto the scene in 2020 when he removed Surrey’s Ben Foakes and Rory Burns at The Oval, with the all-rounder now cementing himself as a key member in the Sussex side across formats.

He has also spent consecutive winters with the England Lions.

With two frontline spinners in Jack Leach and Shoaib Bashir, as well as the emergence of Jacob Bethell and a rather settled middle order, a spin all-rounder may not be of paramount importance to England this year.

But it could be when tours to the subcontinent arrive after the struggles of 2024 in India and Pakistan.

A right-handed batter but left-arm spin bowler, Coles averages a touch under 35 in first-class cricket with the bat and turned down franchise interest over the winter to focus his development at the Lions camp in Australia, with his progress one to monitor as Sussex return to Division One this season.

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