England’s selectors have named an 18-player Lions squad for this winter’s tour of Australia, with leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed, wicketkeeper-batter Jordan Cox and a battery of seven quicks heading the list. The group, coached by Andrew Flintoff, will train and play alongside the senior side during the first two Ashes Tests, offering immediate back-up should injuries bite.
The itinerary is busy. Before the Perth Test begins in late November the Lions will contest England’s only first-class warm-up, then meet a Cricket Australia XI in Perth and Australia A in Brisbane while the main series gets underway. Most of the Lions are also pencilled in for the pink-ball fixture against the Prime Minister’s XI.
Rehan and Cox were both overlooked for the full Ashes touring party but remain first in line if cover is required. England preferred Will Jacks as the reserve spinner, while Cox’s absence owed much to faith that Ollie Pope can take the gloves should something happen to Jamie Smith. Cox is therefore free to fulfil a lucrative ILT20 deal with Dubai Capitals once the Lions’ early programme ends.
Pace dominates the squad sheet. Raw, lively operators Sonny Baker, Josh Hull, Eddie Jack and Mitchell Stanley are joined by Tom Lawes, Nathan Gilchrist and Matthew Fisher, who forced his way back into national thoughts after a strong September for Surrey. Fisher’s solitary Test cap came three summers ago in the Caribbean; this is a chance to push for another.
Somerset batter-keeper Thomas Rew, fresh from captaining England Under-19s and a productive Metro Bank Cup campaign, wins his first Lions call-up and is joined by older brother James. Yorkshire all-rounder Matthew Revis, Glamorgan’s Ben Kellaway and Asa Tribe – already a regular for Jersey in white-ball internationals – complete the list of newcomers.
A couple of notable omissions raised eyebrows. Sussex all-rounder James Coles, encouraged by the ECB to explore short-form opportunities, is concentrating on franchise cricket and holds a deal in the SA20. Northamptonshire’s Saif Zaib, the Championship’s leading run-scorer this summer, has also been left at home. Sam Cook, who debuted against Zimbabwe in June, is another to miss out, with the selectors believing they already know what he offers as a new-ball seamer.
“There are some unbelievably talented players in this squad, and this is a fantastic opportunity for them to go to Australia, excel in the conditions, and thrive against quality players,” Flintoff said. “At the same time, these players will get a sense of what an away Ashes series is all about.”
While Rehan heads west, younger brother Farhan Ahmed will lead England Under-19s in the Caribbean during November. The teenagers have seven one-dayers lined up – two versus USA, five against West Indies – as part of their build-up to January’s Under-19 World Cup in Namibia.
Lions squad in full
Rehan Ahmed (Leicestershire), Sonny Baker (Somerset), Jordan Cox (Kent), Matthew Fisher (Surrey), Nathan Gilchrist (Warwickshire, from Kent), Josh Hull (Leicestershire), Eddie Jack (Hampshire), Tom Lawes (Surrey), Ben Kellaway (Glamorgan), James Rew (Somerset), Thomas Rew (Somerset), Matthew Revis (Yorkshire), Mitchell Stanley (Worcestershire), Asa Tribe (Jersey), plus four more to be confirmed by ECB once domestic commitments are finalised.
Fixtures
Warm-up v England XI, Perth – mid-November (dates TBC)
Cricket Australia XI, Perth – late November
Prime Minister’s XI, Canberra – 3-day D/N match, early December
Australia A, Brisbane – mid-December
Nothing is set in stone, and the selectors have already hinted that performances in the opening round of fixtures could shuffle the deck. Still, an Ashes winter brings few spare seats on the plane. Those lucky enough to have one know the next two months represent a rare, valuable audition.
