England have rested Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Josh Tongue and Sonny Baker from their five-match T20I squad for Australia, with the management citing the upcoming Test tour of South Africa as the reason for managing the pace quartet's workloads.
The four fast bowlers are included in England's ODI squad for the three-match series in Australia. National selector Marcus North confirmed that Archer and Jacob Bethell, who is recovering from a knee injury, have been added to the group that will travel to Pakistan on Thursday for an ODI tri-series with the hosts and Sri Lanka. Archer and Bethell will replace James Coles and Mason Crane for the Australia ODIs.
England's T20I squad is notably changed from the side that beat Sri Lanka 3-0 last month. Phil Salt returns from a quad injury to take over from the injured Jos Buttler, who is sidelined after hamstring surgery. Sam Curran is back from a groin injury, while Ben Duckett has been left out. Jamie Overton is the only fast bowler retained from the previous T20I setup. The squads announced on Tuesday confirm that Test cricket and ODIs will take precedence over T20Is for the next 12 months, with the Ashes and a World Cup on the horizon.
James Coles and Henry Crocombe could also make their T20I debuts during the series, while Luke Wood has been recalled despite recently losing his central contract. Aneurin Donald retains his place with Buttler unavailable.
"We will have four uncapped players in an exciting T20 squad including Thomas Rew and Eddie Jack, both of whom toured Australia with the England Lions last year, and who earn their first England call-ups," Chief Selector Marcus North said, as quoted by Cricinfo.
Why have England rested their fast bowlers for the T20Is?
England's management has been explicit about the reasoning behind the decision. The Test tour of South Africa begins with a warm-up match against a CSA Invitational XI in Durban from December 9-11, followed by the first of three Tests on December 17 in Johannesburg. Resting the four quicks after the ODI leg allows them to travel to South Africa early and acclimatise to conditions there, as well as work with Eric Simons, England's new Test bowling coach, ahead of the series. The World Cup, to be held in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, is approximately a year away, and England have named a full-strength ODI squad to reflect that priority.
"The returns of Jacob Bethell and Jofra Archer for the ODI series means that we will be at close to full strength as we ramp up preparations for a World Cup in a year's time. The four quick bowlers will then leave after the three-game ODI series as we look to manage them ahead of the Test tour of South Africa," North said.
Saqib Mahmood is absent from both squads after another injury setback. Mahmood has accumulated 40 England caps across formats since his international debut in early 2020 and will undergo knee surgery on Tuesday. Rehan Ahmed is also omitted from both squads following an underwhelming home summer.
Who are the new faces in England's T20I squad?
England have handed first call-ups to Thomas Rew and Eddie Jack for the five-match T20I series. Rew, an 18-year-old wicketkeeper-batter from Somerset, captained England at this year's Under-19s World Cup and has been awarded an ECB development contract. He missed the final two months of the home summer with an ankle injury but has returned to fitness. Jack, a Hampshire seamer who turned 21 last month, is an England Lions regular and has held a development contract since last October. His T20 experience is limited to seven appearances in the T20 Blast, but he has impressed England's management. Both players toured Australia with the England Lions last year.
"Our T20 team has been in excellent form under captain Harry Brook and we are looking forward to the opportunity to test ourselves in Australian conditions against a very good team," North said.
Brydon Carse has been overlooked for both squads as the Cricket Regulator's investigation into his conduct on a night out in Derby continues.
England tour to Australia
ODI squad:
Harry Brook (capt), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Sonny Baker, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jordan Cox, Henry Crocombe, Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Josh Tongue
T20I squad:
Harry Brook (capt), Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, James Coles, Jordan Cox, Henry Crocombe, Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Aneurin Donald, Eddie Jack, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Thomas Rew, Phil Salt, Luke Wood
