Dan Lawrence has been named in the England squad for the two-Test tour of New Zealand in February with Jonny Bairstow still out… but no place for spin sensation Rehan Ahmed
- England have named a 15-man squad for their February tour of New Zealand
- Essex batter Dan Lawrence is a surprise pick for the upcoming two-Test series
- This comes as Jonny Bairstow is still recovering from his freak broken leg
- Olly Stone, Matthew Potts and Stuart Broad return to the bowling attack
- That leaves no place for Rehan Ahmed, who will be playing T20 cricket in Abu Dhabi
Dan Lawrence will be given the chance to relaunch his international career on England’s Test tour of New Zealand but a different path has been chosen for Rehan Ahmed.
Lawrence benefited on Friday from an injury to Liam Livingstone and the extended absence of Jonny Bairstow when he was named in a 15-man squad for a tour in February that features a day-night first Test at Mount Maunganui and a second game in Wellington.
It was the Essex batter’s first appearance since the Caribbean tour in March, when he impressed Ben Stokes with his selfless approach, scoring 91 in the second Test in Barbados.
Dan Lawrence has returned to the England Test squad for their tour of New Zealand in February
Lawrence (left) is seen batting alongside Joe Root in the West Indies series in March
But England have shown a modern mindset that they hope will not only help develop their most exciting young players but also inspire loyalty in their approach to 18-year-old leg-spinner Ahmed .
Rather than take him on a tour that would not count towards the World Test Championship, England — in a plan coordinated by performance director Mo Bobat — encouraged Ahmed to play in the new Twenty20 franchise league in Abu Dhabi in January.
They will then hope that Ahmed, who took seven wickets on debut in the whitewash-clinching third Test victory over Pakistan in Karachi this week, will be selected for the white-ball tour of Bangladesh in March which will consist of three 50-over and three T20 internationals. There was also an acknowledgment from England that Joe Root should be allowed, post-Test captaincy, to explore franchise options and he will also play in Abu Dhabi despite being rested from England’s three-match 50-over tour in South Africa next month.
Rehan Ahmed was left out of the squad despite impressing during Pakistan’s whitewash
Root will play ‘a handful’ of games in the UAE before a short break, before leaving for New Zealand at the end of next month, a policy which England claim is the ‘best way to improve his game ahead of the World Cup’ in India next fall’.
Mark Wood is resting after his busy winter at the Twenty20 World Cup and in Pakistan, opening the door for Olly Stone to provide extra pace for England in New Zealand and add to his three Test appearances.
There is also the recall of Matt Potts at the expense of Jamie Overton, while Stuart Broad returns after his paternity leave, with England now spoiled for choice among their seamers.
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