England all-rounder Jamie Overton says he would seriously consider returning to Test cricket for next year's Ashes if captain Joe Root approached him. Overton played in England's final Test of the 2025 home summer against India and was in line for last winter's Ashes tour, but took what he described as an "indefinite break" from red-ball cricket. The 32-year-old, who has a history of stress fractures in his back, has since focused on limited-overs cricket and is part of the England squad for the ongoing one-day tri-series in Pakistan.
Speaking to BBC Sport, Overton said white-ball captain Harry Brook had already raised the possibility of him making himself available for Test cricket. "To be honest, I haven't thought about it," Overton said. "Brooky's mentioned it to me a couple of times, but I've literally not thought about it." On the prospect of Root reaching out, he added: "If Rooty comes to me and says that then, yeah, then I'll have to have a serious think about it."
Overton's appearance in the fifth Test against India in July 2025 was only his second Test cap, three years after his first. He was left as one of three frontline seamers after Chris Woakes suffered a dislocated shoulder, bowling 38 overs in the match. A month later he announced his hiatus from red-ball cricket. "I came off that Test match against India and I felt physically broken," he said. "I've never said I've ruled it out completely."
With Ben Stokes now retired, England have opted for four frontline seamers, and Overton, who made 99 on his Test debut against New Zealand in 2022, could strengthen their lower order if needed. His twin brother Craig played eight Tests, including in the 2017-18 and 2019 Ashes series. For Jamie, Australia's visit to the UK next summer may be his last chance to play in an Ashes series.
Source: BBC Sport · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing