England has announced its 14-member squad for the upcoming ODI series against the Netherlands which will be a part of the ongoing ICC CWC Super League.
Newly appointed white-ball coach of the England cricketing setup Matthew Motts will be taking charge of the Eoin Morgan-led team for the first time.
The Australian said,
“I’m very excited to be coaching a strong squad for my first series in charge, we have tremendous depth with a blend of youth and experience. We want to continue to play in an expressive style and let our players showcase their skills and firepower.”
The matches will be held on the 17th,19th, and 22nd of June 2022 at the VRA Cricket Ground in Amstelveen with England’s red-ball squad led by new skipper Ben Stokes involved in the 3-match test series against ICC World Test Championship trophy holders New Zealand till 27th June.
The likes of Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, and Stokes will not be seen playing against the Dutch national team as a few fringe players and uncapped players will be taking their opportunities on the big stage.
The uncapped left-arm fast-medium duo of David Payne and Luke Wood has been called up as part of the 14-men squad. Gloucestershire fast-bowler Payne was called-up last year for the ODI series against Pakistan as well but did not get an opportunity to earn his first international cap while Lancashire’s Wood has been invited to the English white-ball set-up for the first time in his career.
The duo will be rivalling with the likes of Reece Topley, David Willey, Brydon Carse, and Sum Curran for the seam options in the playing XI. Adil Rashid will be heading the spin duties with all-rounders Moeen Ali and Liam Livingstone providing support if needed.
Motts also talked about how Wood deserves a chance on the international stage after following his performances in county cricket over the last 12 months. He said,
“Luke Wood deserves his call-up. He has been consistent for Lancashire over the past 12 months and we have been monitoring his progression. If given a chance to play, I’m sure he will make most of his opportunity.”
Jason Roy, Dawid Malan, and wicket-keeper batsman Phil Salt make up the top-order of the English batting line-up. Ali and Livingstone are also two of the most experienced middle-order players with skipper Morgan and the in-form Jos Buttler sharing the middle-order responsibilities with the two spin-bowling all-rounders.
England is currently second on the ICC CWC Super League table and will be aiming to better its position in a bid to overtake league leaders in Bangladesh. Motts talked about the challenge ahead after facing the lowest-ranked side in the 13-team league.
He concluded,
“This is a historic occasion for the sport and the first time England Men have played The Netherlands in an ODI series. We can’t wait to head over to Amsterdam and put on a show for the thousands of fans travelling to support the team. The ODI side has had limited opportunities and last played in July. However, with about 18 months to the next ICC 50 over World Cup in India, our preparation will start ramping up with nine matches over the summer and a busy winter ahead against strong opponents.”
England Squad: Eoin Morgan (C), Jason Roy, Phil Salt, Dawid Malan, Jos Buttler, Moeen Ali, Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran, David Willey, Brydon Carse, Reece Topley, David Payne, Luke Wood, Adil Rashid