Emilio Gay is set to make his Test debut, and could be joined in the team by another newcomer in Sonny Baker, while Ollie Robinson is set to play his first Test for more than two years, as England named a 12-player squad for first Rothesay Test against New Zealand at Lord’s.

The reduced squad means three players have been cut from the original 15 players that were announced last month: Somerset’s James Rew, who would also have been making his debut, plus the legspinner Rehan Ahmed and fast bowler Matt Fisher.

The final choice is likely to be confirmed on Thursday morning, with head coach Brendon McCullum hinting that, with bad weather forecast for the coming week, the choice would fall between two differing fast bowlers, potentially Gus Atkinson and Baker.

“We’ll just work out whether we want the extra air speed, if all of a sudden it becomes 35 degrees and flattens out. Or we stick to what’s tried and tested at Lord’s and remain with more of the type of bowlers that’ll extract some movement with some overhead conditions.

“We’re very comfortable with the group that we’ve got,” McCullum added. “We’re confident in what we’re going to pick. That doesn’t guarantee us anything, but it gives us what we think will allow us the best opportunity against New Zealand at Lord’s. We want to stick to what we think is going to be required in these conditions against this opposition.”

Shoaib Bashir, who had been England’s first-choice spinner for 18 months until he was overlooked for this winter’s Ashes, is expected to slot back into the XI.

“Bash, he has the ability to probably play more of a holding role in the first couple days here at Lord’s,” McCullum said. “Then as the game deepens, and if spin becomes more prevalent, then he can go more into an attacking role.”

England Test XII: Ben Stokes (capt), Gus Atkinson, Sonny Baker, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Ben Duckett, Emilio Gay, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wk), Josh Tongue