Moeen Ali remains absent from the Test squad. The all-rounder had decided to take a break from the longest format after a slew of poor performances, primarily with the bat, led to him getting dropped after the first Test in the Ashes.
Anderson had suffered a calf injury which kept him out for most of the year while Wood had suffered a side injury at the World Cup this year. The latter is not expected to be fit for the early part of the tour and both are currently in South Africa.
England Squad: Joe Root (c), James Anderson, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Jack Leach, Matthew Parkinson, Ollie Pope, Dominic Sibley, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood
