YORK'S Jonny Bairstow has been recalled to the Test cricket squad for England's tour of South Africa.

Yorkshire star Bairstow and Jimmy Anderson - who sat out the recent series defeat to New Zealand - are joined by Mark Wood, who last played Test cricket in February.

Bairstow was dropped for the New Zealand series after averaging 23.77 during this summer's Ashes - a move that backfired when newcomer Ollie Pope had to deputise behind the stumps for the second Test in Hamilton after Jos Buttler sustained an injury.

The four-match Test series, which starts at Centurion on Boxing Day, forms part of the ICC World Test Championship and will be the first time in the competition that England have played away from home.

Captain Joe Root, the Yorkshire batsman, will be aiming for his team to close in on India and Australia, who are currently leading the standings.

England squad: Joe Root (Yorkshire, capt), James Anderson (Lancashire), Jofra Archer (Sussex), Jonathan Bairstow (Yorkshire), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Rory Burns (Surrey), Jos Buttler (Lancashire), Zak Crawley (Kent), Sam Curran (Surrey), Joe Denly (Kent), Jack Leach (Somerset), Matthew Parkinson (Lancashire), Ollie Pope (Surrey), Dominic Sibley (Warwickshire), Ben Stokes (Durham, vice-capt), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire), Mark Wood (Durham).