Congratulations to Dawid Malan, who was today named by the England National Cricket Selectors in a 16-man squad, which will be captained by Eoin Morgan, for the three-match NatWest IT20 series against South Africa starting at the Ageas Bowl on Wednesday June 21 2017.
England IT20 Squad as follows:
Jonathan Bairstow (Yorkshire) – Available for the first two matches of the series.
Sam Billings (Kent)
Jos Buttler (Lancashire)
Mason Crane (Hampshire)
Tom Curran (Surrey)
Liam Dawson (Hampshire)
Alex Hales (Nottinghamshire)
Chris Jordan (Sussex)
Liam Livingstone (Lancashire)
Dawid Malan (Middlesex)
Eoin Morgan (Middlesex) Captain
Craig Overton (Somerset) – Available for the last two matches of the series.
Liam Plunkett (Yorkshire)
Jason Roy (Surrey)
David Willey (Yorkshire)
Mark Wood (Durham) – Available for the first match of the series.
There are six changes from the squad that finished the series in India in February. Moeen Ali, Jake Ball, Adil Rashid, Joe Root and Ben Stokes are rested and will play for their respective counties in the inaugural day-night round of the Specsavers County Championship starting on Monday June 26. Sussex fast bowler Tymal Mills has been ruled out through a back injury.
The squad includes five players who have yet to be capped at this level – although Middlesex opener Dawid Malan, Surrey’s Tom Curran and Somerset’s Craig Overton have previously been included in England squads.
Like Lancashire’s Liam Livingstone, they have been consistently impressive for England Lions over the last 12 months or more, while Hampshire leg-spinner Mason Crane is called up after impressing in the North-South Series in March, and also during an ECB Overseas Placement in Sydney last winter, when he became the first overseas player since 1985 to represent New South Wales in the Sheffield Shield.
Crane is now in contention to make his England debut on his home county ground, as the series will start at Hampshire’s Ageas Bowl, while Overton will replace Mark Wood in the squad ahead of the second match of the series, the first T20 international at the Cooper Associates County Ground in Taunton.
Durham seamer Mark Wood is available for the first match of the series and will be looking to add to his one cap he won against New Zealand in June 2015. Jonathan Bairstow will be available for the first two matches of the series before returning to Yorkshire in preparation for the County Championship day-night match against Surrey.
Chairman of Selectors James Whitaker said: “The IT20 series against South Africa presents us with an opportunity to incorporate several players who have come through the talent pathway into the senior group. The squad has an exciting blend of youth and experience and we are looking forward to a competitive series against strong opposition.
“With five uncapped players selected, there is undoubted talent coming through the system and we are excited to see some of these players showcase their skills at the highest level.
“Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Tom Curran and Craig Overton have impressed for the England Lions over the past 12 months and have transferred their skills across all formats, in particular with their respective counties.
“Young leg-spinner Mason Crane is another player with great promise and he has made great strides with Hampshire this season and has added to his experience with stints in the North-South Series earlier in the season, where he took crucial wickets and even earned selection for New South Wales in Australia’s premier domestic competition the Sheffield Shield."
England will meet in Southampton on Tuesday June 20.
Fixtures:
First NatWest IT20, England v South Africa, Wednesday June 21, Ageas Bowl, Southampton, (6.30pm BST)
Second NatWest IT20, England v South Africa, Friday June 23, The Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton, (5.00pm BST)
Third NatWest IT20, England v South Africa, Sunday June 25, The SSE SWALEC Stadium, Cardiff (2.30pm BST)
