Tom Hartley is one of two uncapped spinners who have been named in England’s Test squad to face India in the new year, with Liam Dawson not among the 16-player group.
Dawson’s absence was somewhat expected, with him saying earlier in the winter that he needed to consider signing with a franchise before accepting a spot on the tour. Speaking at the PCA Awards in October, Dawson said: “At the moment I’m traveling to South Africa, but if the situation changes I’ll have to make a decision. Financially, it’s something you have to think about at this age.” Ta. It’s going to be a big decision. ”
When the squad was announced today, Shoaib Bashir and Hartley were among the four spinners scheduled to travel, with Jack Leach and Rehan Ahmed also included in the group.
Rob Key explained his decision to choose Hartley over Dawson: “I think Liam Dawson is a good cricketer and he’s obviously a good batting force.” To be honest, I think Liam Dawson has improved over the last few years. I played with him on tour when he was 19 and I’ve always liked him. To be honest, I feel like Hartley’s bowling style actually gets the better of him. ”
Dawson had a fantastic season in the 2023 County Championship, picking up 49 wickets for Hampshire at an average of 20.00. He also scored his three centuries with the bat and an average of 40.00 runs. In comparison, Hartley took 19 wickets in this year’s Championship, averaging 44.84 wickets.
“Liam Dawson was unable to take part in this trip at all,” Key said. “Again, Liam Dawson is probably not someone who would want to tour India as the 15th or 16th man. When he plays or performs, he is someone who wants to do it. But… If that’s not the case, I don’t think acting as a stand-in bowler is a key issue for him.That’s where we ended up with Liam Dawson…Also, a player like Hartley has a different style of bowling. It’s a real handful in terms of points, and I feel like Leach will obviously be leading the ball attack.
“You have to pretty much ignore what happens in county cricket because it’s a completely different style of bowling and you’re trying to figure out who’s the best at what you’re dealing with.
Will Jacks and Liam Livingstone are also absent from the squad, having been selected as spinning all-rounders for last year’s series in Pakistan. Regarding Jax’s absence, Key said: “In a situation like this, you generally want someone who is a little faster (than Jacks) and you also want the best spinner, not the best spinner who bats a little bit.
“In the off-spin department, you have Joe Root, who can of course also do the job, and then you’ll make a decision with Will Jacks.” And that’s what we talked about in the summer: For them, drinks Wouldn’t it be better to drink transport across India? Or, with the World T20 coming up, could I go and play franchise cricket? So, that was the decision to make with Will Jacks. ”
England’s series in India begins on January 25, with the final Test scheduled to begin in early March. Gus Atkinson was also added to the squad as an uncapped player, while Ben Foakes received a Test recall.
Subscribe to the Wisden Cricket YouTube channel for post-match analysis, player interviews, and much more.
