London, May 11 (IANS): England may play a number of uncapped players in next month's Test series against New Zealand so as to keep regulars in the squad as fresh as possible for the Ashes that begins in December.

England and Wales Cricket Board's (ECB) director of cricket, Ashley Giles said that the only certainty in the coming months is the amount of cricket England's all-format regulars will be playing with the five-Test series against India, the T20 World Cup scheduled for October-November, and the Ashes.

"What we do know, and what's not going to change, is the weight of cricket," Ashley Giles, England's director of cricket, was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au.

"Given the Ashes series, we don't know what conditions that's going to be played in at the moment with regard to a Covid environment, but we are going to need a bigger group of players still," he further said.

England host New Zealand for two Test matches on June 2 and June 10.

"We may also choose against New Zealand to look at some new faces. With the amount of other cricket we have to play, we almost want to get this tapering towards the Ashes. We have got to get that right," said Giles.

"Is that against New Zealand? I don't know, that's something for us to continue to discuss," he further said.