Rocky Flintoff picked by father Andrew for England Lions tour of Australia

Rocky Flintoff has been handed an official call-up to the England Lions squad for subsequent month’s tour of Australia, the place his fortunes will as soon as once more be overseen by his father, Andrew.

Flintoff, 16, was a last-minute addition to the Lions’ journey to South Africa earlier this month – his father’s maiden tour as head coach – the place he featured within the one-off tour match in opposition to a CSA Invitational XI in Cape City, making 4 from three balls in his solely innings.

His inclusion continues a startling rise, which started along with his precocious shows for Lancashire 2nd XI in April, continued via his multi-format debuts for England’s Beneath-19 groups in opposition to Sri Lanka in July, and culminated in his first skilled contract with Lancashire in August and subsequent first-class debut.

Now he has been included in a Lions tour that might provide a number of pointers for the senior squad’s problem in subsequent yr’s Ashes, not least for the incumbent Check spinner, Shoaib Bashir, for whom this will probably be a chance to fine-tune his recreation in Australian situations.

Bashir, 21, was himself fast-tracked by England for the tour of India in January, and has performed in 15 of England’s 17 Checks in 2024. He’ll journey beneath the tutelage of Graeme Swann, the offspinner who performed a key position in England’s final Ashes win in Australia in 2010-11, and may have the chance to play in three aggressive fixtures in Brisbane and Sydney, culminating in an unofficial Check in opposition to Australia A. Lancashire’s left-arm spinner Tom Hartley, who featured in all 5 Checks in India however has not been picked since, can even make the journey.

Brendon McCullum, England’s head coach, had flagged the probability of Bashir’s inclusion within the Lions again in October, with the sense rising from his latest shows in Pakistan and New Zealand, the place he took 17 wickets at 50.58 in six Checks, that his recreation has not progressed fairly as shortly as England had hoped.

“For Bash, the chance to have the ability to get some expertise in these situations could possibly be actually very important for us,” McCullum mentioned in October, on the conclusion of the Pakistan tour. “That is the great thing about the Lions programme, you may have the chance to get some cricket into guys. With Freddie there as nicely now and in control of the Lions, he is bought a really comparable view on the sport to what I’ve bought, so there will be consistency of message and that is one thing that we have to have a look at.”

Among the many quick bowlers, Josh Tongue is a notable inclusion. He made two Check appearances at Lord’s in 2023, the place he impressed along with his sharp tempo and skill to generate steep bounce from a superb size, however has been sidelined by damage for lengthy durations, together with a setback that dominated him out of a attainable white-ball debut within the Caribbean in November.

He has been handed a call-up alongside John Turner, one other fast bowler who’s able to 90mph tempo, and Essex’s Sam Cook dinner – some of the prolific bowlers in county cricket, however whose alternatives had beforehand been restricted by James Anderson’s presence within the England set-up.

Josh Hull, the 20-year-old Leicestershire left-armer who made a shock Check debut in opposition to Sri Lanka in September, has not been included in the primary squad however will journey to Australia as he continues his rehabilitation from a quad damage.

Among the many batters, Alex Davies is rewarded for a robust season with Warwickshire, for whom he made 4 centuries in his maiden yr as captain, whereas Somerset’s wicketkeeper-batter James Rew can also be included.

England Males’s Efficiency Director, Ed Barney, mentioned: “We have now rewarded gamers who’ve confirmed themselves at this stage and people with vital potential. Matches and excursions of Australia are at all times essential and we relish the chance to check ourselves in opposition to high quality opposition. This tour permits us to judge performances, refine preparation and proceed working with a few of the finest rising expertise within the nation.

“I am additionally delighted to see Josh Tongue returning to aggressive cricket. Josh has had a difficult time with accidents however is progressing nicely and can profit from this tour as he steps up his preparation. We hope this marks the beginning of a affluent and impactful return to cricket for him in 2025.”

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