Nearly nine years on from his solitary Test cap in Sydney comes a recall for Mason Crane after the leg-spinner was named in England’s squad for the one-day international tri-series against Pakistan and Sri Lanka later this month. Harry Brook’s squad will fly to Islamabad on 15 October for a round-robin mini-tournament that serves as preparation for next year’s 50-over World Cup. The three teams play each other twice in the group stage, before the top two meet for the final at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on 31 October.
Jos Buttler will miss the trip due to his recent hamstring tear and Jofra Archer is being rested at the start of a busy winter. But there are returns for Adil Rashid and Sam Curran following injury, a spot for James Coles, while the most eye-catching move is Crane usurping Rehan Ahmed as the back-up wrist-spinner. Ahmed struggled for impact during the recent 2-1 victory over Sri Lanka which saw the all-rounder dropped for the decider.
Though primarily a bowler – and one who has matured in recent seasons – Crane has added a second string to his bow this summer, scoring two first-class centuries to go with 51 wickets across formats. Marcus North, England men’s national selector, said: “Mason Crane has been performing consistently for Glamorgan across both formats during the summer. He’s an experienced, high-class leg-spinner who thoroughly deserves another opportunity at international level.” Jordan Cox is expected to keep wicket in Buttler’s absence, while no Archer sees uncapped Henry Crocombe among seamers after impressing for Sussex ahead of his winter move to Surrey.
It also means 23-year-old Sonny Baker is likely to take the new ball, having claimed his maiden ODI wicket at the Oval last week. Now a three-format England cricketer after his Test debut in June, and recently voted the Professional Cricketers Association’s young player of the year by his peers, Baker is personally hoping a tour of Pakistan will deepen his understanding of reverse swing in what is the art-form’s spiritual home. What am I trying to get out of it?
Pakistan is not somewhere I’ve been before. I’m really looking forward to that – particularly reverse swing, I think it caters to my action quite nicely.” Reverse is certainly coming back into ODI cricket after the recent tweak to the regulations that sees the innings start with two new Kookaburra balls, before going down to one of them for the final 16 overs. Power-hitting at the death has become trickier, as evidenced during England’s defeat by Sri Lanka at Headingley last week.
And so while conditions in Rawalpindi and Lahore will differ to those at the World Cup in southern Africa next year, this short two-week tour that starts against Pakistan on 20 October should have plenty of benefits for England – be it transferable skills or the added pressure of a one-final should they get there. It will also see David Saker return as a bowling coach, likewise Carl Hopkinson running the fielding drills, with Brendon McCullum taking a pared back support staff that also features assistant Jeetan Patel and Under-19s coach Mike Yardy. England ODI squad: (Yorkshire, capt), Atkinson (Surrey), Baker (Hampshire), Banton (Somerset), Coles (Sussex), Cox (Essex), Crane (Glamorgan), Crocombe (Sussex), S Curran (Surrey), Dawson (Hampshire), Duckett (Nottinghamshire), Jacks (Surrey), J Overton (Surrey), Rashid (Yorkshire), Root (Yorkshire), Tongue (Nottinghamshire).
Extract — continue reading at the source.
