England selectors today announced an 18-man England Performance Programme (EPP) squad and a 16-man England Lions squad for the first part of this winter’s tour programme.
Hampshire’s James Vince, who was yesterday named in England’s T20 squad to take on Pakistan this autumn, will captain the Lions team in a five-match Twenty20 (T20) series against Pakistan ‘A’ in the UAE in December.
Vince will lead a strong Lions squad which includes five players with international experience; Sam Billings, Chris Jordan, Stephen Parry, Reece Topley and David Willey – plus Surrey all-rounder Zafar Ansari, who was named in England’s Test squad for the tour to UAE yesterday.
Ansari’s inclusion in both the Lions and EPP squads will be subject to a further medical review of his thumb injury later this week.
Nineteen-year-old wicket-keeper batsman Joe Clarke from Worcestershire, who made his maiden First Class hundred earlier this month, is the youngest player selected in the 18-strong EPP squad, which includes a host of players who have impressed in domestic cricket this season.
Led by Andy Flower, the EPP winter programme will see all 18 players undertake a four-day training camp at the National Cricket Performance Centre (NCPC) in Loughborough in early November – before the squad divides into two specialist groups.
Twelve players will attend a two and a half-week long batting and spin camp in Dubai starting on November 11th while a six-strong group of fast bowlers will travel to South Africa on the same date to take part in a ten-day training camp in Potchefstroom under the guidance of EPP Lead Fast Bowling Coach Kevin Shine.
The two groups will then re-unite in the UAE in the last week of November for further training and match practice ahead of the England Lions T20 series against Pakistan ‘A’, which gets underway on Monday 7th December.
Worcestershire’s Director of Cricket, Steve Rhodes, will work with the Lions this winter in an assistant coach capacity, alongside head coach Andy Flower.
Commenting on the squads, National Selector, James Whitaker, said: “Congratulations to all of the players selected for the England Performance Programme and England Lions this winter. It is hugely important that we have a reserve of players who are ready to perform on the international stage when they get the opportunity and the EPP and the England Lions play a vital role in identifying and developing the next generation of England cricketers.
“With the 2016 ICC World Twenty20 in India just six months away, the five-match T20 series for the Lions against Pakistan ‘A’ will form a particularly important part of our preparations for the tournament, ensuring that we can draw on a wider group of players who have recent experience of playing T20 cricket in sub-continental conditions. “
England Lions will return to Dubai to play a five-match one-day series against Pakistan ‘A’ in January 2016. The itinerary and squad for this tour will be announced in due course.
England Performance Programme 2015-2016 Batting and spin camp in Dubai, 11th November – 1st December
Zafar Ansari – Surrey
Danny Briggs – Hampshire
Joe Clarke – Worcestershire
Daniel Bell-Drummond – Kent
Ben Foakes – Surrey
Lewis Gregory – Somerset
Chris Jordan – Sussex
Dawid Malan – Middlesex
Stephen Parry – Lancashire
Tom Westley – Essex
Ross Whiteley – Worcestershire
James Vince – Hampshire
Fast bowlers camp in Potchefstroom, South Africa, 11th – 23rd November followed by Dubai 24th November – 1st December
Jake Ball – Nottinghamshire
Craig Miles – Gloucestershire
Tymal Mills – Sussex
Craig Overton – Somerset
Jamie Overton – Somerset
Olly Stone – Northamptonshire
England Lions v Pakistan ‘A’ Twenty20 squad, Dubai 1st – 17th December
Zafar Ansari – Surrey
Jake Ball – Nottinghamshire
Sam Billings – Kent
Joe Clarke – Worcestershire
Daniel Bell-Drummond – Kent
Ben Foakes – Surrey
Lewis Gregory – Somerset
Chris Jordan – Sussex
Dawid Malan – Middlesex
Tymal Mills – Sussex
Stephen Parry – Lancashire
Reece Topley – Essex
Tom Westley – Essex
David Willey – Northamptonshire
Ross Whiteley – Worcestershire
James Vince (captain) – Hampshire
Itinerary
4.12.15 T20 warm up TBC
7.12.15 1st T20 Pakistan “A”
10.12.15 2nd T20 Pakistan “A”
11.12.15 3rd T20 Pakistan “A”
13.12.15 4th T20 Pakistan “A”
16.12.15 5th T20 Pakistan “A”
