Aneurin Donald and Henry Crocombe have earned their first England call-ups after being named in separate 16-man squads for the upcoming white-ball series against Sri Lanka. Derbyshire’s opening batsman Donald has been rewarded for an impressive season with a place in England’s T20I squad, while Sussex seamer Crocombe has been included in the ODI squad after impressing selectors over the summer.
Harry Brook will captain both sides, with Jimmy Overton also returning to the England squad after missing the white-ball series against India earlier this summer with a thigh injury.
Meanwhile, Phil Salt will miss the series with a right quad injury, while Jacob Bethel remains unavailable after undergoing successful surgery on his injured knee earlier this week. He remains on track with his rehabilitation.
T20I squad: Harry Brook (c), Jofra Archer, Jos Atkinson, Sonny Baker, Tom Banton, Jos Buttler, James Coles, Jordan Cox, Liam Dawson, Aneurin Donald, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Saqib Mahmood, Jimmy Overton, Adil Rashid, Josh Tonge.
Audi squad: Harry Brook (c), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Jos Atkinson, Tom Banton, Sonny Baker, Jos Buttler, Jordan Cox, Henry Crocombe, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Jimmy Overton, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Josh Tonge.
Donald enjoyed an impressive campaign for Derbyshire in the T20 Blast, scoring 489 runs at a strike rate of 230.66, with four half-centuries. The 29-year-old, who made his T20 debut in 2015, has scored 2423 runs in the format, with 18 fifties.
Meanwhile, Crocombe has been on England’s radar for some time, having been part of the squad for the second Test against New Zealand as cover for Ollie Robinson. The 24-year-old has taken 49 wickets in 36 List A matches, having played his first 50-over match in 2021.
“Aneurin Donald and Henry Crocombe are promising players who have earned their places on the back of impressive performances in domestic cricket,” said Marcus North, England Men’s National Team. “Aneurin has had an exceptional season for Derbyshire in the Vitality Blast and also with Trent Rockets at The Hundred while Henry is a player we have been monitoring all summer.”
England will play three T20Is against Sri Lanka – at Southampton on September 15, Cardiff on September 17 and Manchester on September 19 – before starting the three-match ODI series at Chester-le-Street on September 22. The remaining ODI matches will be played at Leeds on September 24 and The Oval on September 27.
