Eighteen-year-old Thomas Rew has earned his maiden call-up for England after being selected for the white-ball tour of Australia next month. Jacob Bethell is also fit to return after a knee injury but Brydon Carse remains frozen out.
Coming after the upcoming tri-series in Pakistan, the four-week trip features three one-day internationals and five Twenty20s. The fast bowlers Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue, Gus Atkinson and Sonny Baker will play in the ODIs that start on 13 November, before turning their attention to the Test tour of South Africa.
This, plus Jos Buttler’s ongoing absence following hamstring surgery, has led to a fresh-faced T20 squad with Somerset’s Rew, a promising wicketkeeper-batter, one of four uncapped players. Henry Crocombe and James Coles will continue on from Pakistan, and the Hampshire quick Eddie Jack gets his first chance.
While the captain, Harry Brook, Jordan Cox and Bethell are down to play in both series and then bounce straight into the South Africa Tests, the mid-tour exodus of England’s frontline quicks shows the importance of the ODIs a year out from the World Cup. Other than Buttler, the 50-over side will be at full strength.
It is also an early indication that Brendon McCullum is willing to dilute a T20 team that is currently flying results-wise in order to assist the Test set-up he no longer runs. His relationship with Stephen Fleming, the new Test head coach, is going to require compromise in line with England’s priorities.
None of this is enough to earn Carse a recall, however, with the fast bowler still awaiting the outcome of his disciplinary following his brief arrest in Derby in August. Rob Key, the team director, has stressed that Carse is technically available for selection but has been given time to “get his house in order”.
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England squads for Australia tour
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ODI squad Harry Brook (Yorks, capt), Jofra Archer (Sussex), Gus Atkinson (Surrey), Sonny Baker (Hants), Tom Banton (Somerset), Jacob Bethell (Warks), Jordan Cox (Essex), Henry Crocombe (Surrey), Sam Curran (Surrey), Liam Dawson (Hants), Ben Duckett (Nots), Will Jacks (Surrey), Jamie Overton (Surrey), Adil Rashid (Yorks), Joe Root (Yorks), Josh Tongue (Notts)
T20 squad James Coles (Sussex), Aneurin Donald (Derbyshire), Eddie Jack (Hants), Thomas Rew (Somerset), Phil Salt (Lancs), Luke Wood (Lancs) replace Archer, Atkinson, Baker, Duckett, Root and Tongue.
Instead, the likes of Jack, 21, and Crocombe, 25, will get the chance to acclimatise to international cricket. Jack is a favourite of the Lions and earned an England development contract on Monday, while Crocombe, who is due to swap Sussex for Surrey this winter, earned a full two-year deal.
Thomas Rew is the most eye-catching pick, however, aged only 18 and coming 24 hours after earning his first development contract. Younger brother to James Rew, who made his Test debut in June but missed out on a deal, the right-hander already has two centuries in four first-class appearances.
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Were he to make his T20i debut in Australia – a tour on which he will turn 19 – Thomas Rew would become the third youngest man to represent England after Rehan Ahmed (18 years and 126 days) and Brian Close (18 years, 149 days). Ahmed misses out here and will likely tour the Caribbean with the England Lions.
