Root and company taking a breather as England blood new faces in T20 series
England have called up uncapped quintet Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Tom Curran, Mason Crane and Craig Overton for their three-match Twenty20 series against South Africa.
The five, who have no international appearances between them, are given a chance in a 16-man squad which, as expected, is missing several Test regulars.
New England Test captain Joe Root and others will, instead, take part in a day-night round of County Championship matches which immediately follows the South Africa series.
Paul Collingwood, meanwhile, reckons his time as the only man to lift an ICC trophy for England might be coming to an end.
The all-rounder captained England to glory in the World Twenty20 in 2010, the only major tournament the country has won.
That could be about to change as Eoin Morgan is spearheading a charge towards the Champions Trophy, with England winning all three group games on their way to tomorrow’s semi-final.
“They have got a great chance,” said Collingwood. “We have all been watching the side over the last two years, they are a powerful, dynamic team and I would say they would be favourites.”
England T20 squad: EJG Morgan (capt), JM Bairstow (available for first two matches), SW Billings, JC Buttler, MS Crane, TK Curran, LA Dawson, AD Hales, CJ Jordan, LS Livingstone, DJ Malan, C Overton (available for last two matches), LE Plunkett, JJ Roy, DJ Willey, MA Wood (available for first match).