England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) was put in a tricky position ahead of the white-ball series against Pakistan as three players and four support staff members of England were tested Covid-19 positive. ECB have named a revised squad of 18-man to take on Pakistan with Ben Stokes making a comeback and will lead the side. The series will kick off on July 8 in Cardiff.
ECB named nine uncapped players in the squad along with several young prodigies, who have previously played for England. Meanwhile, Alex Hales got overlooked by the selectors.
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“It’s a great opportunity to play on the biggest stage, and for most of the players selected it’s not necessarily something they would have been expecting 24 hours ago,” managing director of England men’s cricket, Ashley Giles, said.
“It’s an exciting group of players, with some young talent and some players who have impressed at domestic level over a long period of time. We’re in unprecedented territory, in terms of replacing an entire squad and management team, and I’m very proud of how everyone has come together in order to get it done – both those within the ECB and from the county game.
“Ben hasn’t captained our ODI side before so it’s a huge honour for him. We all wish him well and it’s a role I’m sure he’ll thrive in. I’d like to also put on record the thanks of the ECB to the PCB for their support and understanding during this time,” Giles added.
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Amidst the chaos, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is satisfied with the safety protocols that are in place in England.
“The PCB is satisfied by the assurances and guarantees provided by the ECB on behalf of its medical panel, and feels comfortable with the existing protocols that have been put in place to ensure all the Pakistan players and player support staff remain safe and secure throughout the duration of the series,” the statement said.
England squad: Ben Stokes, Jake Ball, Danny Briggs, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Lewis Gregory, Tom Helm, Will Jacks, Daniel Lawrence, Saqib Mahmood, Dawid Malan, Craig Overton, Matt Parkinson, David Payne, Phil Salt, John Simpson, James Vince
