JACK Leach has been named in a 16-strong England squad for the men's Test tour of Sri Lanka next month, and will be joined by his Somerset team-mate Craig Overton, who is to travel as a reserve.

Former Somerset players Dom Bess - who has joined Yorkshire ahead of the 2021 season - and Jos Buttler are also included, but Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes are both rested.

This tour was due to take place in March of this year, only to be cut short because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The rearranged dates see the England party depart on January 2, and play two Test matches (behind closed doors) at Galle International Cricket Stadium on January 14-18 and 22-26, before departing Sri Lanka on January 27.

Archer, Stokes and the injured Ollie Pope are all expected to return for the four-match Test series against India starting in February.

Opening batsman Rory Burns also misses the tour, as his wife is expecting their first child in January.

England squad: Joe Root (Yorkshire) (captain), Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), James Anderson (Lancashire), Jonathan Bairstow (Yorkshire), Dom Bess (Yorkshire), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Jos Buttler (Lancashire), Zak Crawley (Kent), Sam Curran (Surrey), Ben Foakes (Surrey), Dan Lawrence (Essex), Jack Leach (Somerset), Dom Sibley (Warwickshire), Olly Stone (Warwickshire), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire), Mark Wood (Durham).

Reserves: James Bracey (Gloucestershire), Mason Crane (Hampshire), Saqib Mahmood (Lancashire), Craig Overton (Somerset), Matthew Parkinson (Lancashire), Ollie Robinson (Sussex), Amar Virdi (Surrey).