Jake Ball and Liam Dawson named in England Lions squad
Monday 19 September 2016 13:35, UK
Jake Ball and Liam Dawson have been named in an 18-man England Lions squad to tour the United Arab Emirates this winter.
Test seamer Ball and limited-overs international Dawson will join up with the Lions after touring Bangladesh as part of the senior one-day international squad.
Nottinghamshire's Ball played in this summer's first Test against Pakistan, while Dawson made his ODI debut against the same opposition.
Surrey brothers Tom and Sam Curran are also included for a Lions tour featuring three 50-over games against the UAE and three-day games against Afghanistan.
Lions coach Andy Flower, who will lead them in Dubai and Sharjah, said: "We are taking 18 players, because - whereas last winter and in our tri-series this summer, our focus was specifically on white-ball cricket - this year we will be working on both white-ball and red-ball skills.
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"Developing skill will remain the highest priority of our work, with a range of specialist coaches to work with the players in the excellent facilities at the ICC Academy, and initially the opportunity to do that away from the different demands of competition.
"However, towards the end of the camp we will play as England Lions in white-ball and red-ball fixtures - and an England Lions squad will then be selected later in December for a tour of Sri Lanka in February and March, which will again involve white-ball and red-ball fixtures."
Squad: N Gubbins, K Jennings, T Alsop, D Bell-Drummond, T Westley, J Clarke, L Livingstone, B Foakes, L Dawson, O Rayner, Jack Leach, S Curran, T Curran, T Roland-Jones, J Ball, J Fuller, C Overton, S Meaker.
* Seamer Tom Helm and leg-spinners Matt Parkinson and Josh Poysden will also join up with the Lions camp in Dubai.
