England can have a glimpse of life with out Adil Rashid as his harm opens the door for protege Rehan Ahmed within the series-opening ODI towards Sri Lanka on Tuesday.
Rashid has been an England banker for greater than a decade, successful each white-ball World Cups, however the 38-year-old leg-spinner is ready for a scan on what was termed a niggle to his bowling hand.
Suffered whereas fielding as England sealed a 3-0 T20 collection win at Previous Trafford on Saturday, Rashid’s enforced absence opens the door for somebody he has known as his “little brother”.
Ahmed, 16 years youthful than Rashid, main the spin line on the Riverside provides England the prospect to check their bench power forward of subsequent yr’s 50-over World Cup in southern Africa.
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PICTURE: David Davies/PA
Step up?
Rashid’s reliability means Ahmed has performed simply 9 ODIs since making his debut in March 2023 however England white-ball captain Harry Brook is satisfied the teen can step out of his mentor’s shadow.
“He’s been within the squad for plenty of years now,” Brook stated.
“He’s all the time been there or thereabouts and we really feel it’s the correct time for him to get this chance.”
Will Jacks, named as England’s vice-captain for the three-match collection, will present a supplementary spin possibility for Brook alongside Joe Root, though Jacob Bethell continues to overlook out.
Bethell shall be changed on the prime of England’s batting order by Tom Banton, recalled in his most popular place for simply his second ODI in six years after cementing a spot within the T20 facet additional down.
“We expect he deserves a possibility,” Brook stated.
“I feel he’s an excellent participant. He’s good on the brief ball and arguably he’s certainly one of our greatest gamers of spin.”
PICTURE: Gary Oakley/PA
Spin masterclass
England have been handled to a spin masterclass from Kevin Pietersen throughout observe on Monday on the floor the place the now white-ball mentor first unveiled the swap hit for which he grew to become famend.
Pietersen hitting New Zealand’s Scott Styris for six in Durham in 2008 after swapping from a right-handed to a left-handed stance created an unlimited buzz and demonstrated his trailblazing talents.
However Brook revealed Pietersen’s recommendation throughout a staff huddle was a multi-faceted strategy to batting towards spin, with the Yorkshireman saying: “A whole lot of it was about choosing the size.
“That’s key to dealing with spin and with the ability to rotate strike in addition to doable, particularly in ODI cricket as that’s an space the place we most likely want to enhance as a facet.
“There’s a lot energy in our squad that we’re good at hitting boundaries already and we simply want that contact and little bit of sophistication to have the ability to rotate strike and limits will come.”
PICTURE: Andy Commins/PA
England XI to face Sri Lanka
England staff to play Sri Lanka in first ODI: Tom Banton, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Harry Brook (captain), Jos Buttler (wicketkeeper), Will Jacks, Rehan Ahmed, Jamie Overton, Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue.
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