Three LPL cricketers included in England Lions squad

Tom Abell (Dambulla Aura)

Jordan Cox (Dambulla Aura)

Tom Banton (Colombo Stars)

• Play Sri Lanka ‘A’ in five-match tour   

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

Middle-order batsman Tom Abell who represented Dambulla Aura in the recently concluded Lanka Premier League (LPL) will lead a 28-strong England Lions Test and ODI teams in the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka.

England Lions are scheduled to play a two-match unofficial 4-day test series against Sri Lanka ‘A’ in Galle and then move to the R. Premadasa Stadium Colombo for a three-match unofficial ODI series. The tour commences with a 3-day warm-up game against a Sri Lanka Board XI on 25 January at the R. Premadasa Stadium.

Abell who captains Somerset in the English County championship has four England Test players in the Lions 16-member test squad – openers Haseeb Hameed and Alex Lees, and fast bowlers Ollie Robinson and Matt Fisher.

A fifth Test player fast bowler Saqib Mahmood has been included in the 16-man ODI squad which also features two other English cricketers who played in the LPL – opener Jordan Cox who turned out for Dambulla Aura, and Tom Banton who opened the batting for Colombo Stars with Pathum Nissanka in the 2021 edition. There is also England fast bowler Brydon Carse.

The squad also includes Jacob Bethell, Tom Prest and James Rew who were a part of the England Under-19s team that reached the 2022 ICC Under-19s World Cup final in Antigua. Bethell and Rew, who are both currently playing grade cricket in Australia, will join the squad for the ODI series.

Four players have been selected into both squads – Tom Abell, Sam Cook, Matt Fisher and Tom Hartley – with a total of 28 players selected across the two formats.

ENGLAND LIONS 16-PLAYER TEST SQUAD:

Tom Abell (Somerset), Josh Bohannon (Lancashire), Jack Carson (Sussex), Sam Cook (Essex), Matt Fisher (Yorkshire), Nathan Gilchrist (Kent), Tom Haines (Sussex), Haseeb Hameed (Nottinghamshire), Tom Hartley (Lancashire), Jack Haynes (Worcestershire), Lyndon James (Nottinghamshire), Alex Lees (Durham), Liam Patterson-White (Nottinghamshire), Ollie Robinson (Durham), Jamie Smith (Surrey), Josh Tongue (Worcestershire).

ENGLAND LIONS 16-PLAYER ODI SQUAD:

Tom Abell (Somerset), Tom Banton (Somerset), Jacob Bethell (Warwickshire), Brydon Carse (Durham), Sam Cook (Essex), Jordan Cox (Kent), Mason Crane (Hampshire), Matt Critchley (Essex), Matt Fisher (Yorkshire), Sam Hain (Warwickshire), Tom Hartley (Lancashire), Tom Lammonby (Somerset), Saqib Mahmood (Lancashire), Tom Prest (Hampshire), James Rew (Somerset), Luke Wood (Lancashire).

SCHEDULE

25 to 27 Jan: Warm-up game at R. Premadasa Stadium

31 Jan to 3 Feb: 1st unofficial test at Galle Cricket Stadium

7 to 10 Feb: 2nd unofficial test at Galle Cricket Stadium

15 Feb: 1st unofficial ODI at R. Premadasa Stadium

18 Feb: 2nd unofficial ODI at R. Premadasa Stadium

21 Feb: 3rd unofficial ODI at R. Premadasa Stadium

All matches commence at 10 am.