England name unchanged 16-man squad for three-match ODI series against Pakistan; Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes remain absent; watch England vs Pakistan ODIs live on Sky Sports Cricket, starting with series opener in Cardiff from 12pm on Thursday
Saturday 3 July 2021 16:34, UK
Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes will remain absent for the three-match ODI series against Pakistan after England head coach Chris Silverwood named an unchanged 16-man squad.
Butter injured his calf during the first T20 against Sri Lanka last month and has not played since, while Stokes has continued his recovery from the broken finger he sustained playing in the IPL earlier this year by featuring in the Vitality Blast for Durham.
Neither will return to the international arena just yet with England keeping the same players that are available for the third and final Sri Lanka ODI in Bristol on Sunday, at which the hosts will be aiming to seal a 3-0 sweep.
Tom Banton, drafted into the England squad for the clash with Sri Lanka in Bristol after Dawid Malan left the camp for personal reasons, retains his place for the Pakistan ODIs, which will take place in Cardiff on July 8, Lord's on July 11 and Edgbaston on July 13.
Uncapped Sussex left-arm seamer George Garton is also included once again.
Looking ahead to the Pakistan ODIs, England all-rounder Moeen Ali said: "I think it will be a very good series. Pakistan are normally a very good side and they give us good games.
"I think they'll be a stronger opposition than Sri Lanka, which means you get more of a chance to bat and bowl as a player who's down the order, for example, and hasn't been bowling much."
England will name their squad for the T20 series against Pakistan later this month - that series comprises games at Trent Bridge on July 16, Emerald Headingley on July 18 and Emirates Old Trafford on July 20.
Moeen added of Pakistan: "They are one of the best T20 teams in the world, along with West Indies, India, Australia. We can't take them lightly at all, they are a fantastic team with quality players."
England ODI squad for Pakistan series: Eoin Morgan (Middlesex, captain), Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire), Tom Banton (Somerset), Sam Billings (Kent), Sam Curran (Surrey), Tom Curran (Surrey), Liam Dawson (Hampshire), George Garton (Sussex), Liam Livingstone (Lancashire), Adil Rashid (Yorkshire), Joe Root (Yorkshire), Jason Roy (Surrey), David Willey (Yorkshire), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire), Mark Wood (Durham)
Watch the first ODI between England and Pakistan live on Sky Sports Cricket from 12.30pm on Thursday.
