England Lions have added three players to their squad to face India A in a four-day match set to begin tomorrow (May 30) in Canterbury.
Gloucestershire fast bowler and South Asian Cricket Academy [SACA] graduate Zaman Akhter is among the names added to the squad. Alongside him in joining the group is Sussex pacer Henry Crocombe and Middlesex batter Max Holden. They have been called up as cover for Sonny Baker, Chris Woakes and George Hill.
England pace prospect Baker will not be available for the the first of the two red-ball matches in the series due to an injury, while Woakes is being rested for the game before joining up with the squad ahead of the second game in Northampton. Hill has been withdrawn from the squad.
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The rest of the Lions squad features several high profile names, including their captain James Rew – who was called up to the Test squad as batting cover for the match against Zimbabwe last week. It also includes Rehan Ahmed, Jordan Cox, and Josh Hull. India A's squad will be led by Abhimanyu Easwaran, with Test star Yashasvi Jaiswal also set to feature alongside Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shardul Thakur, Ishan Kishan and Harshit Rana.
Akhter comes into the squad having represented the Lions in December last year in Cape Town, and having taken a five-for against a Sri Lanka side for the Lions last summer. His victims in that game included Dimuth Karunaratne and Kusal Mendis. He signed his first professional contract with Gloucestershire at the age of 2023 in 23, one of 10 male SACA players to have been awarded professional contracts.
After the first match of the series in Canterbury, the second game will be played in Northampton, beginning on June 6. The senior Test series between England and India will begin on June 20 at Headingley.
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