England Lions have introduced a powerful 14-member squad for his or her upcoming two four-day matches towards India A, beginning May 30 in Canterbury, with a mixture of expertise, thrilling youth and some eye-catching inclusions. Headlining the choice is the return of veteran pacer Chris Woakes and the debut call-up for Rocky Flintoff, son of former England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff. Woakes, 36, who missed out on the squad for the one-off Test towards Zimbabwe attributable to an ankle harm, is ready to make use of the Lions fixtures as a possibility to show his health and type forward of the senior crew’s Test collection towards India in June.
Having starred in final summer season’s Ashes collection with 19 wickets at a stellar common of 18.15—incomes him the Compton-Miller Medal—Woakes stays a key determine in English circumstances. However, with rising strain from youthful seamers like Essex’s Sam Cook, these matches may show essential in his bid to retain a spot within the senior setup.
Captaining the Lions facet is Somerset’s James Rew, who is part of the senior squad for the Zimbabwe Test starting on May 22. Rew will lead a dynamic group of cricketers, together with legspinner Rehan Ahmed—accessible just for the primary match earlier than linking up with the T20I squad for the West Indies tour—and promising top-order batter Dan Mousley.
One of essentially the most talked-about picks is that of Rocky Flintoff, the son of Ashes 2005 hero Andrew Flintoff. The squad additionally consists of left-arm fast Josh Hull, who debuted for England final summer season towards Sri Lanka, and opener Ben McKinney, a former England U-19 graduate pushing for greater honours.
Another identify that stands out is Farhan Ahmed, youthful brother of Rehan, who has been rewarded for a string of strong performances for Nottinghamshire along with his offspin.
While Jordan Cox is anticipated to return for the second fixture in Northampton after lacking out on the squad for the Zimbabwe Test attributable to harm, there isn’t a place for Jofra Archer. The pacer was initially thought of for the second Lions match at Wantage Road, however a right-thumb harm—sustained in the course of the IPL—has dominated him out of any quick red-ball return.
England Lions Squad: James Rew (Captain), Farhan Ahmed, Rehan Ahmed, Sonny Baker, Jordan Cox, Rocky Flintoff, Emilio Gay, Tom Haines, George Hill, Josh Hull, Eddie Jack, Ben McKinney, Dan Mousley, Ajeet Singh Dale, Chris Woakes.
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