England captain Jos Buttler has expressed “frustration” that the paying power of franchise leagues and a congested schedule has denied him a stronger squad for next month’s white-ball tour of Bangladesh. Buttler is without a raft of players for the tour, which sees England play three ODIs and then three T20s and is vital preparation for the 50-over World Cup in India later in the year.
Player Availability
The ODI leg of the Bangladesh tour clashes with the Test tour of New Zealand, while the whole trip clashes with the Pakistan Super League. Also, Alex Hales, Sam Billings and Liam Dawson have opted to play in the PSL over representing their country. White-ball regular David Willey will also not travel to Bangladesh, although he does not currently have a PSL deal. Will Jacks and Ben Duckett will join the squad in Bangladesh for three T20s but they are unavailable for the ODIs.
Captain’s Thoughts
Buttler refused to blame individual players for opting to play franchise cricket. He said those who had withdrawn to play PSL remain in contention for the World Cup.
“It’s quite a unique situation,” he said. He added, “It’s time we are in. The way the games are scheduled, I can sort of understand it both ways. Wherever people are playing, we want to pick our best available team, especially for World Cups and big ICC events, so we are open-minded.” He understands people’s positions and recognizes it’s an individual decision.
New Squad Members
- The main beneficiary of the widespread unavailability is Somerset captain Tom Abell, who receives a first international call-up.
- Teenage spin sensation Rehan Ahmed is selected in a white-ball squad for the first time.
- Abell offers Buttler a well-rounded batting option, and Ahmed could be a bolter in this year’s World Cup.
- Saqib Mahmood returns to the international fold, and Jofra Archer is joined by Mark Wood in a pacy looking attack.
Squad Overview
ODI squad: Jos Buttler (captain), Tom Abell, Rehan Ahmed, Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Sam Curran, Saqib Mahmood, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Jason Roy, Phil Salt, Reece Topley, James Vince, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.
T20 squad: Jos Buttler (captain), Tom Abell, Rehan Ahmed, Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Sam Curran, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Chris Jordan, Dawid Malan, Saqib Mahmood, Phil Salt, Reece Topley, James Vince.
Also, see:
Alex Hales chooses PSL over England’s duty
