NEWS
Follow UsThe County Select XI squad, to face India in a three-day match as a warm-up for the touring side in Durham, is announced. It is a 14-man squad which will be led by Warwickshire's 26-year old all-rounder Will Rhodes and overseen by the head coach Richard Dawson. Dawson is England's elite performance pathway coach. The squad also include two Test cap holders - Haseeb Hameed and James Bracey.
Both Hameed and Bracey were part of England's squad for their two-match Test series against New Zealand. While Hameed was the reserve opener, Bracey made his Test debut but had an unfulfilled start to his career, with scores of 0, 0 and 8 with the bat. Hameed made his Test debut in Rajkot in 2016 and drew attention straightaway. However, his tour was cut down to three Tests by the virtue of a finger injury. Hameed has struggled to get back to the England squad since but has shown promise again during the ongoing County Championship season.
The squad is accumulated after consulting the first-class counties on the basis of player availability and the best young talent available. Jake Libby is the second-highest run-scorer in the 2021 County Championship with 798 runs at an average of 61.4. Similarly, the right-arm medium-pacer Ethan Bamber is the fourth-highest wicket-taker amongst local bowlers. He has 36 wickets in nine games at 22.6 runs apiece.
The three-day contest, which can be extended to four days if the weather intervenes, will begin on July 20. The match will be played behind closed doors. A live streaming, however, will be available on Durham cricket's YouTube channel.
County Select XI squad: Will Rhodes, Rehan Ahmed, Tom Aspinwell, Ethan Bamber, James Bracey, Jack Carson, Zak Chappell, Haseeb Hameed, Lyndon James, Jake Libby, Craig Miles, Liam Patterson-White, James Rew, Rob Yates