England’s revised squad announced to play Pakistan in a three-match One-Day International (ODI) series after a Covid-19 outbreak led to the formation of a new playing eleven. Nine uncapped players have been included in England’s squad.
Squad: Ben Stokes (c), Jake Ball, Danny Briggs, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Lewis Gregory, Tom Helm, Will Jacks, Dan Lawrence, Saqib Mahmood, Dawid Malan, Craig Overton, Matt Parkinson, David Payne, Phil Salt, John Simpson (wk), James Vince
“It’s a great opportunity to play on the biggest stage, and for most of the players selected it’s not necessarily something they would have been expecting 24 hours ago,” managing director of England men’s cricket, Ashley Giles, said.
“It’s an exciting group of players, with some young talent and some players who have impressed at a domestic level over a long period of time. We’re in unprecedented territory, in terms of replacing an entire squad and management team, and I’m very proud of how everyone has come together in order to get it done – both those within the ECB and from the county game.
“Ben hasn’t captained our ODI side before so it’s a huge honour for him. We all wish him well and it’s a role I’m sure he’ll thrive in. I’d like to also put on record the thanks of the ECB to the PCB for their support and understanding during this time,” Giles added.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Tuesday expressed satisfaction in a press release over the “assurances and guarantees” given by the England Cricket Board (ECB) over existing protocols in place for the Pakistan cricket team and support staff’s safety.
The PCB responded to seven members of the England cricket team testing positive for coronavirus. Three players and four members of the support staff tested positive for the infection.
“Pakistan Cricket Board has been in close contact with the England and Wales Cricket Board regarding concerns about the health and safety of its players since the news of Covid-19 outbreak in the England camp,” said the board in a statement.
“The PCB is satisfied by the assurances and guarantees provided by the ECB on behalf of its medical panel,” said the PCB.
