Monday 24 April 2017 09:18, UK
Ben Duckett and Liam Livingstone are on the fringes of the England ODI squads - but can they force their way in?
The selectors will name many as three squads on Tuesday - for the two-match and three-match ODI series' against Ireland and South Africa, as well as England's 15-man team tasked with taking on the Champions Trophy.
We asked Sky Sports' Michael Atherton if there will be any surprises...
Who do you see being given an opportunity for the Ireland ODIs?
Ben Duckett might get another go. He did well when he played in Bangladesh, and has been unlucky not to get another opportunity since. Lancashire's Liam Livingstone is a coming name, and is being widely talked about after a good winter with the England Lions. There's also other batsmen on the fringes like Dawid Malan - another who had a fine winter - and maybe James Vince, Daniel Bell-Drummond.
Do you think Duckett has been hard done by?
As I say, he played particularly well in Bangladesh. It was just Eoin Morgan's return - after he didn't travel on that tour - that cost Duckett his place. I have a high regard for him, I think he's a good player, and I have no doubt he will come again in the England one-day team. The interesting thing with him though is how does he balance his aims of trying to become a better first-class player - as obviously in the Tests over the winter he had that glitch against the offspinner that came to the fore - with his white-ball ambitions?
Being a proud Lancastrian, what can you tell us about Livingstone?
He is a very aggressive player, though that's almost a given with batsmen in one-day cricket these days. When I have seen him, what has struck me is just how hard he hits the ball, even by the standards of the modern game. He is an exciting talent. He needs a good start to the season because he is starting to be noticed and it's important he keeps that momentum going. If he continues to rack up the runs, an opportunity with England will come.
Where do you see his best position?
He is a middle-order batsman predominantly, but what you have to be these days, is flexible. You don't know where your opportunity is going to come. You have to be able to play the long innings when required and be able to finish as well.
Are you pleased to see your county producing such talent?
Lancashire is one of the big four or five clubs in England and so ought to be producing its own players. That's been the DNA of the club for a long time. When I signed professional terms in 1987, I think I was one of about eight or nine to sign from the Lancashire schoolboy team at the same time. I know that the people in charge of the club currently want that to be the policy going forward, but you also have to balance that with short-term aims, because it's not like 20 years ago when there was just one division and you could give players time to develop. Now with two divisions, and relegation, it's much more difficult.
Given that balance that needs to be struck, are you hopeful Mason Crane can continue to develop at Hampshire?
He obviously had a fantastic winter - for an English legspinner to play for New South Wales in Australia is quite a story. I saw him bowl in a 40-over game at Radlett last year. It's quite a small ground and he was bowling to Brendon McCullum, who was being very aggressive and coming at him hard, but he held his nerve and I think he even got McCullum out in that game. One of the problems for young spinners in England though is four-day cricket is kind of bunched together at the start and end of the season - the high summer given over to white-ball cricket. He needs to bowl, but he's not been picked in any of Hampshire's opening three County Championship fixtures.
How close do you think he is to getting an opportunity with England?
That's one for the selectors to answer. What counts in his favour is that in white-ball cricket, particularly T20, teams want wrist spinners who can send it both ways. Obviously for England, Adil Rashid has that spot at the moment, and you'd expect him to play in the Champions Trophy. But you always need players coming up behind, pushing those in the team hard. If an injury comes, who knows?
Staying with the bowling, is it key for England to have a fit Mark Wood for the Champions Trophy?
Yes. I watched him recently - Durham played a pre-season friendly against Middlesex up at Merchant Taylors' school - and he looked to be running in hard, slamming his foot down. He didn't seem to be in any discomfort, bowling at a good pace. It will be a big boost for England if he is back fit as their bowling is less formidable than their batting.
If he is not fit, who will England turn to?
England will go back to Wood and David Willey - who also missed the West Indies tour through injury - if they are fit. It will then be one of either Jake Ball or Steve Finn in the Champions Trophy squad as the back-up seamer. Beyond that, there's the Curran brothers, Tom and Sam, who are clearly highly regarded - Tom drafted in on the tour of the Caribbean - and maybe Toby Roland-Jones. But I don't envisage too many surprises. England have transformed their ODI fortunes post the 2015 World Cup by keeping a pretty settled XI and squad. I expect it to be that pool of players they dip into again.
