Expanding England’s Talent Pool: Jos Buttler Looks Forward to T20 Series Against New Zealand
England Looks to Broaden Talent Pool in T20 Series with New Zealand
In a bid to diversify their range of skilled players, the England cricket team aims to make significant changes during the upcoming T20 series against New Zealand. Captain Jos Buttler believes that this selection will help them identify new talents and assess their performance on an international stage.
The four-match series is set to kick off at Chester-le-Street from 18:00 GMT on Wednesday, showcasing a revamped squad featuring several fresh faces. Surrey fast bowler Gus Atkinson has been given his opportunity after impressing selectors.
“The T20 squad has been chosen with an eye towards nurturing emerging talent,” said Buttler. “We want to provide these individuals exposure to international cricket and gauge their potential.”
This squad also includes four members of England’s Ashes side – all-rounder Moeen Ali, batters Harry Brook and Ben Duckett, and wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow – who will bring valuable experience into the mix.
Notably, Brook was omitted from the ODI squad for the upcoming series against New Zealand next month despite being one of the top scorers in The Hundred tournament. His impressive tally of 238 runs at an average of 47.6 for Northern Superchargers placed him third overall behind only Buttler and Finn Allen from New Zealand.
Lancashire left-arm pace bowler Luke Wood makes a return with just two T20 caps under his belt, while Test quick Mark Wood is exclusively selected for the ODI series.
New Zealand, on the other hand, will be missing all-rounder Jimmy Neesham due to his commitment following the birth of his first child. Additionally, fast bowler Trent Boult has been excluded from the T20 squad but remains a part of the ODI team.
The England squad: Jos Buttler (captain), Rehan Ahmed, Moeen Ali, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Sam Curran, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Chris Jordan, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan , Adil Rashid , Luke Wood.
The New Zealand squad: Tim Southee (captain), Finn Allen , Mark Chapman , Devon Conway , Lockie Ferguson , Matt Henry Kyle Jamieson , Cole McConchie , Adam Milne , Daryl Mitchell , Glenn Phillips Rachin Ravindra Mitchell Santner Tim Seifert Ish Sodhi.
A couple of injuries have forced changes in both squads. Uncapped white-ball players Josh Tongue and John Turner are unable to participate in this series due to injury concerns. This gives experienced duo Chris Jordan and Brydon Carse an opportunity to showcase their skills.
Despite a strong performance at The Hundred where he took 16 wickets with an average of 14.88 runs per wicket, Tymal Mills misses out on selection, as Buttler wants to grant untested talents a chance instead.
“The art of death bowling holds immense significance in short-format cricket,” Buttler stated when discussing Mills’ omission from the squad.
“No one should ever feel ruled out. Every player must be motivated and strive to be the best in their respective position, regardless of squad selection. That should be their mindset – and I’m confident these individuals possess that drive.”
One of the standout performers in The Hundred was fast bowler Gus Atkinson, who has earned a spot in both England’s T20 and ODI squads for the series against New Zealand.
As captain of Oval Invincibles, Sam Billings commended Atkinson’s abilities saying, “He is as swift as any bowler I’ve kept to in quite some time, even though I maintained a considerable distance behind the stumps,” said Billings. “He possesses superb composure and calculation skills. He knows what he needs to know; he is truly self-assured. In an incredibly short span,
he has built up this confidence quietly , .
I have no doubt that he will excel at this level and bring something unique.”
Schedule:
- August 30: 1st T20 at Seat Unique Riverside, Chester-le-Street (18:00 BST)
- September 1: 2nd T20 at Emirates Old Trafford (18:00 BST)
- September 3:3rd T20 at Edgbaston (14:30 BST)
- September 5 :4thT20 at Trent Bridge