The ECB have named a 15-strong England Lions squad to take on India A in an unofficial three-Test series, to run alongside England’s tour of the country.
The second division clubs will complete two days of warm-up training from January 12th, and then play three games over four consecutive days from January 17th to February 4th. All matches will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Lancashire’s Josh Bohannon will lead this group, which is much stronger than the inexperienced group that traveled to the United Arab Emirates for a training camp in November. Four of his group (Alex Lees, Keaton Jennings, Matthew Potts and Matthew Fisher) have experience of playing Test his cricket.
Durham will have a strong team in the 2023 County Championship with the Division 2 champions employing a buzzball style of play. In addition to Leeds and Potts, the squad also includes Brydon Kearse, wicketkeeper Olly Robinson and Callum Parkinson, who joined the club from Leicestershire.
Kearse’s presence is notable as a player who will be on the franchise scene, with Surrey trio Dan Lawrence, Will Jacks and Jamie Smith likely to feature elsewhere. Among the test candidates with high gender.
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Somerset’s Casey Aldridge is the only lesser-known addition to this group who toured the UAE. The 22-year-old right-arm seamer has taken his 39 first-class wickets at an average of 40, but due to his height he is rated at 1.80 meters.
“Playing a series in India is an exciting challenge at any level. This is one of the biggest challenges for a cricketer,” said Mo Bobat, England men’s performance director. “It is great for our Lions team to take on this challenge and have the opportunity to showcase their skills in these conditions. It includes a strong core of players, some of whom have already been selected for the Test squad, and some of the more experienced players also return to support England’s more immediate needs. It will be useful.”
England Lions vs Indians tour: Josh Bohannon (c), Ollie Robinson, Alex Lees, Matthew Potts, Matthew Fisher, Brydon Kearse, Keaton Jennings, Callum Parkinson, Ollie Price, James Coles, Casey Aldridge, Jack Carson, Tom Rose, Dan Mausley, James Liu.
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