Suresh Raina replaces Ambati Rayudu in India's ODI squad for England

India’s selection committee has named Suresh Raina as Ambati Rayudu’s replacement in the ODI squad for the tour of England. Rayudu was dropped from the 16-man squad on Friday after failing to clear a mandatory fitness test in Bengaluru.

India’s ODI squad

Virat Kohli (capt), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni, Dinesh Karthik, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Siddarth Kaul, Umesh Yadav

Raina hasn’t played an ODI since October 2015, when he was dropped after a poor run of form following the series against South Africa, but has featured in India’s T20I contests this year – against South Africa and in the Nidahas Trophy against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.Raina was already named in the T20I squad for India’s games against Ireland and England. Since January 2018, Raina has scored 170 runs in eight T20I innings.In the yo-yo fitness test that Rayudu failed, players are required to attain the 16:1 mark, the minimum level set for Indian players by the team’s strength and conditioning coach Shankar Basu. It is understood that Rayudu fell short of the minimum cut-off by a reasonable distance.India’s three-match ODI series against England starts on July 12 in Nottingham and ends in Leeds on July 17.

Wakely finds release from testing start to the season

ScorecardNorthants captain Alex Wakely finally found release from a tough start to the season as Northants overcame the defending champions, Nottinghamshire in the Royal London Cup.Half centuries from Wakely, Josh Cobb and Adam Rossington, backed up by some slow left-arm guile from Graeme White, helped Northamptonshire Steelbacks to a 49-run victory over Notts Outlaws at Market Warsop in the Royal London One-Day Cup.Northants posted 339 for 9 against the defending champions, with Cobb top-scoring with 78 from 90 balls, whilst Wakely made 72 and Rossington added 50.Harry Gurney, with 2 for 57, returned the pick of the bowling figures for Notts, with Jake Ball and Luke Fletcher also capturing two victims apiece.In reply, Notts failed to string any significant partnerships together and were bowled out for 290 with 3.4 overs remaining.Steven Mullaney followed up Thursday’s 70 against Lancashire with an innings of 71 but no-one else made a half century. White claimed three for 63 against his former county.At the start of the day, having been put in by Mullaney, Northants were able to build useful stands, almost at will, on a good track, with a lightning fast outfield.After Ball, playing on his home club ground, had removed Ben Duckett for 19, the home side came under pressure as Richard Levi, Cobb and Wakeley took the score beyond 200 with 17 overs still to be bowled in the innings.Cobb, who scored 56 against Leicestershire Foxes on Thursday, hit seven fours and three majestic sixes before hitting Billy Root’s off-spin out to Ross Taylor at deep square leg.Wakely, passing 50 for the first time this season, also hit two maximums before being yorked by Fletcher, after a fourth wicket stand of 65 with Rossington.In the quest for quick runs, over the closing overs, Steven Crook twice cleared the ropes as he sped to an unbeaten 45 from just 28 deliveries to put the target out of reach.The Outlaws lost four wickets inside the first 20.1 overs of their reply, including that of Riki Wessels, who made from 47 from 54 balls.White’s left-arm spin tore the heart out of the Notts middle order, removing Taylor and Samit Patel – before adding the prized scalp of the Outlaws captain to his list.Mullaney had reached his 50 from 47 balls, with six fours and a six and was keeping his side in contention until adjudged to be lbw when sweeping across the line.Billy Root made 36 and Fletcher plundered 29 from only 20 balls but his side’s race had been run long before then.The victory not only secured two points but also brought an end to a dreadful sequence of results for Northants, who hadn’t won in Nottinghamshire in any competition since 2003.

New Zealand Cricket turns down offer to tour Pakistan

New Zealand Cricket has turned down a request from the PCB to tour Pakistan later this year for a T20I series because of security concerns. New Zealand are set to travel to the UAE to play Pakistan for a full tour that is likely to comprise three Tests, three ODIs and as many T20Is in October-November, even though the fixtures are not announced yet. The PCB had hoped to convince New Zealand to play the T20I leg of the tour in Pakistan.”At the end of the day it came down to following the advisory and the security reports we’d obtained.” NZC chairman Greg Barclay told . “There’s no doubt they (Pakistan Cricket Board) are disappointed. I think they saw a tour by a country like New Zealand as being a great precedent for them to start to build an international programme back in Pakistan.”So they’re disappointed but they’re good guys, we get on really well with Pakistan, and I think they’re fully accepting of the decision that we’ve reached.”NZC had received a request to tour Pakistan earlier this year and was going to consult with security providers, the government, and the players.Since the terror attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in 2009, Pakistan have played most of their home games in the UAE. Zimbabwe broke the deadlock in May 2015 when they toured for a short limited-overs series, which was marred by a blast near the Gaddafi Stadium.A World XI side led by Faf du Plessis, comprising a number of current internationals toured the country for three T20Is in September 2017. In April this year, a depleted West Indies squad also toured Pakistan for three T20Is in as many days. In between, Lahore and Karachi have hosted a few PSL matches.New Zealand last toured Pakistan in 2003, just a year after a suicide bombing outside their team hotel in Karachi had cut their tour short.”I can’t comment on the decision process that the West Indies went through, perhaps some of the timings may have been different as well,” Barclay said of West Indies’ decision to tour. “I just know that we went through a very thorough process and I’m comfortable with the decision that we got to.”We’re very sympathetic to the plight they find themselves in, we’re a member of the ICC, we’re very aware that the ICC are trying to facilitate more international cricket in Pakistan and we’re very supportive of that.”Although they were given three months to analyse the situation, NZC had not sent any of their representatives to Pakistan to conduct any personal checks.

Trial by pace for shaky travellers Bangladesh

Big Picture

The battle between the eighth and ninth-ranked Test sides will not necessarily attract a lot of viewers, particularly with the football World Cup getting into its business end at the same time. The Antigua Test, therefore, might go under the radar, but it will still be mightily important for West Indies and Bangladesh.If Bangladesh win, they will be back to winning ways after a difficult 12 months. West Indies winning would mean more progress for them, which will do wonders for their young Test players. The home side is fresh off a tough Test series against Sri Lanka in which they started very well but ultimately gave away a 1-0 lead.Against Bangladesh, they can hope to see more runs from the likes of Shai Hope and Kraigg Brathwaite, their leading Test batsmen in the last 12 months. Shane Dowrich was their top run-getter in the three Tests against Sri Lanka, but Roston Chase, Kieran Powell and Devon Smith were not in form.The bowling attack was mostly outstanding, particularly Shannon Gabriel, who recently crossed 100 Test wickets. His 20 wickets at 14.95 against Sri Lanka must have rung alarm bells in the Bangladesh dressing room, while Miguel Cummins and Kemar Roach aren’t any less menacing.Captain Jason Holder balances the line-up with his runs, wickets and catching, while Devendra Bishoo will also pose a threat against a batting line-up that struggles regularly against legspin.Bangladesh are marking a new beginning under Shakib Al Hasan, who missed his return to captaincy in February due to a hand injury. Shakib will require help from Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim and Mominul Haque to once again carry Bangladesh’s batting and, given the shape of their bowling attack, he will also have to shoulder the burden of the bowling.Among the batsmen, Mahmudullah, Imrul Kayes and Liton Das have much to prove, with Nazmul Hossain Shanto knocking at the door for a Test return. If conditions are in favour of spinners, Bangladesh also have Mehidy Hasan and Taijul Islam – but whether they can perform consistently is a question that remains to be answered.

Form guide

West Indies: LDWWL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Bangladesh: LDLLL

In the spotlight

All eyes will be on fast bowler Shannon Gabriel after he became the first West Indian to take 20 wickets in a Test series in 16 years. He averaged a spectacular 14.95 against Sri Lanka, picking up the Player-of-the-Series award. Gabriel is also the first West Indian in 37 years to take 20 or more wickets in a three-match Test series since Michael Holding in 1981.Liton Das has shown improvement over the last nine months, and will be one of those tasked with tackling Gabriel in Antigua. Liton has so far made 248 runs in eight innings, which includes two fifties. He is known to have the ability to negotiate fast, short deliveries, a trait that will be key to his, and potentially his side’s, fate.

Team news

Shimron Hetmyer has returned from illness with a century against the touring Bangladeshis last week. He could be called up if West Indies want to strengthen their batting. Keemo Paul is a fast-bowling option, but it is likely that the Roach-Gabriel-Holder-Cummins foursome will not be tinkered with.West Indies (probable): 1 Kraigg Brathwaite, 2 Devon Smith, 3 Kieran Powell, 4 Shai Hope, 5 Roston Chase, 6 Shane Dowrich (wk), 7 Jason Holder (capt), 8 Devendra Bishoo, 9 Kemar Roach, 10 Miguel Cummins, 11 Shannon GabrielBangladesh have three automatic changes as Sabbir Rahman, Abdur Razzak and Mustafizur Rahman didn’t make it to the West Indies-bound Test squad. They will also be employing a vastly different bowling attack than the one that played in their last Test, back home in February.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Imrul Kayes, 3 Mominul Haque, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim, 5 Shakib Al Hasan (capt), 6 Litton Das (wk), 7 Mahmudullah, 8 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 9 Shafiul Islam, 10 Rubel Hossain, 11 Abu Jayed

Pitch and conditions

The Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua has hosted only one first-class match since its last Test match against India in 2016. In the five Tests played at this venue, teams have averaged just under 450 runs batting first.The weather should be mainly fine over the first four days, with rain forecast only on the fifth day.

Stats and trivia

  • Tamim Iqbal is 15 runs away from becoming the first Bangladesh player to reach 4,000 Test runs
  • Mushfiqur Rahim will equal Mohammad Ashraful’s 61 Tests to become the most capped Test cricketer for Bangladesh
  • Jason Holder will become the sixth West Indies captain to lead the side in at least 25 Tests

Poonam Yadav's four-wicket haul takes India women to victory

Poonam Yadav picked up four wickets•ACC

Legspinner Poonam Yadav’s four-wicket haul guided India women to a 13-run victory over Sri Lanka women in the first T20I at FTZ Sports Complex in Katunayake.After being asked to bat, India put up 168 for 8, courtesy a 35-ball 46 by Taniya Bhatia and 36 each by Jemimah Rodrigues and Anuja Patil. In response, Sri Lanka were 70 for 2 at the end of seven overs, with Chamari Atapattu batting on 27 off 21. However, Poonam dismissed Rebeca Vandort and Atapattu in the next over to jolt the chase. Eshani Lokusuriyage fought with a 31-ball 45, but there was not much support from the other end as the hosts were bowled out for 155 in 19.3 overs.Openers Atapattu and Yasoda Mendis gave Sri Lanka a breezy start of 39 in three overs before Mendis fell to the medium-pace of Arundhati Reddy for a 12-ball 32, studded with five fours and two sixes. Atapattu and Vandort took the side past 50 in the sixth over before Poonam’s double-strike derailed the chase.Lokusuriyage held the end together, despite the wickets tumbling at the other and brought the equation down to 18 off 12 balls with two wickets in hand. Radha Yadav, the left-arm spinner, then bowled a tight 19th over, conceding just three and taking out Lokusuriyage. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur bowled Sugandika Kumari in the next over to end the innings.Earlier, India lost Smriti Mandhana for a first-ball duck to Udeshika Prabodhani. But Mithali Raj and Rodrigues added 57 for the second wicket off just 24 balls. Rodrigues struck three sixes and a four off successive balls off Nilakshi de Silva, who leaked 27 in her first over.Sripali Weerakkody broke the stand by trapping Raj for 17, but Bhatia started in an emphatic manner, smashing three fours off the first four balls she faced. Atapattu dismissed Rodrigues and Harmanpreet, for a duck, in space of three balls to reduce India to 70 for 4.A 67-run partnership between Bhatia and Patil for the fifth wicket took India to 137 at the end of 15 overs. Sri Lanka pulled things back with Bhatia’s wicket as only 18 runs came from the next four overs. Veda Krishnamurthy’s unbeaten 15-ball 21, however, ensured India finished with a total that eventually proved too much for Sri Lanka.

Zak Chappell agrees switch to Derbyshire from Nottinghamshire

Fast bowler Zak Chappell will join Derbyshire at the end of the season after the expiry of his contract with Nottinghamshire.Chappell, 25, came through at Leicestershire and was in high demand when he moved to Trent Bridge at the end of 2018. But he only managed 18 appearances for Notts across all three formats in four seasons with the club, twice going out on loan to Gloucestershire.He featured in Nottinghamshire’s Royal London Cup opener on Tuesday and will remain available for selection until the end of the summer.”Zak is an incredibly skilled bowler and a great addition to our attack for all formats,” Derbyshire’s head of cricket, Mickey Arthur, said. “He probably hasn’t played the amount of cricket he’s wanted to in recent years, but he’s kept developing and worked hard on his game, now he has the chance to show what he can do as part of our bowling unit.”Signing Zak is a big move for the club, as it gives us even more competition and quality within our ranks for the 2023 season and beyond.”Chappell claimed his best first-class bowling figures of 6 for 44 with Leicestershire in 2018, but has not played consistently since then. He has taken nine Championship wickets at 37.77 this season, but enjoyed more success in the Blast with 11 wickets and an economy of 7.70.Chappell said: “When I heard of Derbyshire’s interest, I jumped at the chance to come and work with a top-class coaching unit in Mickey Arthur and Ajmal Shahzad.”Last season, I played a good amount across all formats and I feel I’m at a point now where I need to be playing top-level cricket week in, week out and signing for Derbyshire gives me the chance to do that.”Derbyshire have an ambitious project with plenty of quality in the squad. You can see the direction Mickey wants to take the club in and that really attracted me.”Nottinghamshire’s head coach Peter Moores said that injuries and competition for places had limited Chappell’s chances at Trent Bridge.”Our bowling attack has certainly been competitive to break into for this past couple of years and that, combined with picking up some injuries at key times, has limited Zak’s opportunities to play first-team cricket,” Moores said. “He wants to be playing regularly across all formats. Hopefully this move gives him an opportunity to do that, and it keeps him close to his roots in the East Midlands, so we completely understand and respect his decision.”His attitude around the group has been positive throughout his time at Trent Bridge. He trains hard, has gone about his periods of injury rehab professionally and has handled his decision to leave in a respectful and positive way.”There’s lots to play for and plenty we can still achieve during the remainder of the season – and I know Zak will be giving it everything. Once we get to the end of September, it will be a case of thanking him for his efforts and wishing him well for the next part of his career.”

Meghana to join India squad in UK, Pooja Vastrakar still in quarantine

India batter S Meghana will join the women’s squad for the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham on Thursday night after recovering from Covid-19. Meghana could be available for India’s first group game against Australia on Friday.Meghana is believed to have cleared her Covid test on Wednesday and was put on the first available flight to join the squad in the UK.Allrounder Pooja Vastrakar, who had also tested positive for Covid-19, is likely to remain in quarantine in Bengaluru until Saturday. Her travel to the UK is subject to her passing two Covid tests and a mandatory fitness test.Related

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Vastrakar could fly out on Sunday at the earliest, which will make her available for India’s last league fixture against Barbados on Wednesday.An official from the Indian Olympics Association (IOA) had confirmed Meghana and Vastrakar’s positive tests a day after the India team had left for the Commonwealth Games on Monday.This is the first time that women’s cricket has been included in the Commonwealth Games, and the competition will be played in the T20 format. India are in Group A along with Australia, Pakistan and Barbados, while Group B comprises England, South Africa, New Zealand and Sri Lanka.India open their campaign against Australia on Friday before taking on Pakistan on July 31, and then play their final group game against Barbados on August 3. All the matches in the Commonwealth games will be classified as T20 internationals.India squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Smriti Mandhana (vice-capt), Shafali Verma, S Meghana, Taniya Bhatia (wk), Yastika Bhatia (wk), Deepti Sharma, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Pooja Vastrakar, Meghna Singh, Renuka Thakur, Jemimah Rodrigues, Radha Yadav, Harleen Deol, Sneh RanaStandbys: Richa Ghosh, Poonam Yadav, Simran Bahadur

Darren Stevens shows no sign of stopping as Kent cruise into Royal London semis

Put those Darren Stevens retirement stories away for a moment because he is not quite finished yet. A return to Leicestershire, the county where his career began, felt like a fairytale ending – only he has no intention to end. Influential contributions with bat and ball helped give Kent an 82-run win in this Royal London Cup play-off and now takes them to a semi-final tie against Hampshire at the Ageas Bowl on Tuesday.If Stevens’ intervention with the bat felt entirely predictable – 41 from 24 balls with The Meet Café & Bar at deep midwicket fearing partial demolition from his wrecking ball – his bowling spell was a bonus. Ten overs in mid-innings for 37 runs felt as if Leicestershire had taken their largesse too far as he was met conservatively throughout. It was canny stuff but perhaps not that canny. He had a towel down before his final over, as if determined to see the job through, and suitably somebody should have brought him out a little stool to sit on while they did it.Grace Road is one of the quieter grounds on the circuit, even in their first home knockout tie for 11 years, but sporadic cries of “Stevo” punctuated the day, often for no specific reason. Perhaps some of them came from Leicestershire supporters who would like him to return for a final year. Coincidentally that knockout tie was also against Kent when Paul Nixon, now their head coach, made 31 in a three-wicket win. Considering the ECB’s machinations, it’s a toss-up who is most likely still to be around another 11 years from now – Leicestershire or Stevens.His last ball should have been the perfect finish. Scott Steel, who fulfilled the anchor role for Leicestershire much as Ben Compton had done previously for Kent, risked a leg-side pick-up, but it fell to the 12th man, James Logan, on the half volley and trundled for four. By the time Logan left the field, his duties complete, Stevens’ hands were still on hips in mild-mannered exasperation, but his job had been done.Leicestershire still needed 196 from 21 at 9.33 an over at that point and even though they had seven wickets left they never really made contact with it. A flurry of runs and then Steel swung rather mindlessly at a short ball from Nathan Gilchrist to sky one straight up in the air and fall for 65 from 94 balls.The batter who might have turned the tie for Leicestershire was Wiaan Mulder, their South African allrounder, one of the driving forces behind their play-offs place. Mulder made 81 from 71, his innings ending when he was bowled by a delivery that jagged back substantially, and low, from Joey Evison, who suitably is the young allrounder positioned to fill Stevens’ shoes. Nobody sang “Joey” in homage, even though he had earlier made an excellent half-century, but as Stevens has already recognised, he is a player of considerable promise and can write his own tunes.Related

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  • Stevens vows to play on next season after 'gutting' release aged 46

  • Stevens' white-ball Canterbury swansong takes Kent into play-offs

Kent’s early incursions came through Harry Podmore, whose career has been so curtailed by injury that a decade after his county debut for Middlesex he was playing only his 99th match across all formats. That he was fit and firing after recovering from severe side and knee injuries was a considerable bonus. His first wicket was a bit of a gimme as Nicky Welch slapped him to point, but he bowled Rishi Patel and Lous Kimber with excellent deliveries that seamed back through the gate. Grant Stewart made short shrift of the tail to finish with 4 for 42. Kent had been helped a little by the fact that the surface died a little as the game progressed, but as Nixon agreed, Leicestershire did not lift their game when most needed.Stevens’ innings had been marked by a succession of flat bats with Ed Barnes conceding three of his four sixes, enough for Barnes to finish with undistinguished figures of 2 for 75 in eight overs, his mood uplifted by two good wickets. Leicestershire set two short thirds to him and appeared to have a theory, but it didn’t come off. Predictably, he eventually fell short at deep midwicket and a repair bill for The Meet was avoided after all. It was another South African who carried Leicestershire’s fight with the ball, Beuran Hendricks, a lithe left-armer who is more slippery than he looks, was the bwler who silenced Stevens and he was the pick of their attack with 2 for 35.Half-centuries from Evison and Compton in an opening stand of 95 in 18 overs handed Kent an initiative that they never relinquished. Evison drove Kimber from the attack with three sixes in two overs between straight and long-on before he was dismissed trying to sweep Steel; Compton, his off stump clipped by Mulder as he played defensively, made 56 from 80 balls with only four boundaries and was probably out at a perfect time, although he loves batting so might not think so. A third Kent half-century, this time from Joe Denly, kept Leicestershire at bay.

Lancashire hit with six-point Championship penalty following disciplinary hearing

Lancashire have been deducted six points in this year’s LV= County Championship by the Cricket Discipline Commission panel.The club, who are not in action in this week’s round of games, remain third in this year’s Division One title race, but are now 35 points adrift of the leaders Hampshire, and 30 back from Surrey, whom they face in the final round.In a statement, Lancashire acknowledged the CDC’s independence from the ECB in disciplinary matters, and that they have no right of appeal. However, the club also put on record its dissatisfaction with the sanction, which has effectually ended their outside hopes of challenging for the title.”Following all our hard work throughout the winter and in the County Championship this season, to be deducted points for what are, in our opinion, minor indiscretions is gut-wrenching,” Mark Chilton, the director of cricket, told the club website.Lancashire were handed a maximum 12-point suspended punishment in November 2021 after an accumulation of fixed penalties for pitch and/or equipment damage during the preceding 12 months, and Chilton recognised that that had been a factor in the punishment.”With our suspended sentence from previous indiscretions, we knew the position we were in at the start of the season, addressed this as a group and set our expectations of one another,” he added.”In our opinion, both fixed penalties we received were unduly harsh punishments, which could have gone either way, and it is this inconsistency in the decision-making that makes this difficult to take.”This year’s “minimum level one offences” were committed by Dane Vilas, against Warwickshire in June, and Luke Wells against Northamptonshire in July, and in a subsequent Twitter post, Wells apologised for the outbursts that had played a part in the punishment.”I’m gutted that I was implicated in this after hitting my bat on the ground after being bowled last year v Glamorgan at Cardiff and shouting in frustration whilst inside the changing room at Northants,” Wells wrote. “Apologies to Lancs fans and of course the lads who’ve scrapped so hard for every single point we’ve got this year.”

England to play only one Ashes warm-up match, against England Lions

England will play only one official practice match, against England Lions at Lilac Hill in Perth, in preparation for the first Ashes Test in late November.Cricket Australia announced on Thursday that the fixture would be part of a three-match England Lions tour that will run concurrently with the Ashes series in Australia.England will play a three-day red-ball game at Lilac Hill, the home of Midland Guildford Cricket Club in Perth’s eastern suburbs, from November 13-15 ahead of the first Ashes Test starting at Perth’s Optus Stadium on November 21. Lilac Hill was once the traditional first tour stop for all international teams when visiting Australia throughout the 1990s as the visiting Test team would play a 50-over festival game to kick off the tour.That tradition has long been shelved with touring teams not even playing matches against Australian state sides any more. England have opted to follow a similar pre-tour preparation that India had in Australia last year, except India’s only intra-squad match was played behind closed doors at the WACA ground with no media or outsiders allowed in.There is no ability to close off Lilac Hill to the public as it is open parkland alongside the Swan River. The WACA ground is unavailable on November 13-14 owing to a Sheffield Shield game being scheduled between Western Australia and Queensland on November 11-14, but both Australia and England will likely have access to the WACA ground for centre-wicket training and net sessions in the days leading up to the first Test.While England will play just one practice game before the first Test in Perth, it’s understood they may play another a two-day fixture in Canberra against the Prime Minister’s XI in between the first and second Test at the Gabba, which will be a pink-ball day-night Test. The Prime Minister’s XI match is yet to be confirmed but it could double as England’s pink-ball warm-up for the Gabba.Meanwhile, England Lions will play three fixtures in total on their concurrent tour of Australia. Following the England game, they will play a second four-day match at the same Lilac Hill venue against a Cricket Australia XI that will likely comprise of developing fringe Australian domestic and Under-19 players who will not be playing in the Shield round that starts on November 22.Shoaib Bashir played for England Lions on an Australia tour in January and February•Getty Images

The Lions will then travel to Brisbane with the England Test squad and play a four-day game against an Australia A team at Allan Border Field on December 5-8, while the second Ashes Test at the Gabba runs from December 4-8. The two Lions games running alongside the Test matches could allow England’s management to play some of their Test squad members if they are not selected in the XIs for the first two Tests.Australia’s selectors may field a stronger team for the Australia A fixture in Brisbane but again it will run up against the sixth round of the Shield.”The reciprocal A series against the England Lions is important for Australian cricket giving our players the chance to perform against high calibre opposition,” CA head of cricket operations and scheduling Peter Roach said. “We’re confident this series will complement what should be a fiercely contested Ashes series and have strong benefits for both countries.”It is a big year of Australia A cricket opportunities with the recently completed series against Sri Lanka A and tour of India in September before the Lions series.”It will be the second Lions tour to Australia this year after they played three red-ball matches against CA XI and Australia A in January and February in Brisbane and Sydney.Injured England Test offspinner Shoaib Bashir played all three matches on that tour while seamers Josh Tongue and Sam Cook, who have both played Tests for England recently, also played on that tour.

England Lions tour schedule

Nov 13-15: England v England Lions | Lilac Hill (Perth)
Nov 21-24: CA XI v England Lions | Lilac Hill (Perth)
Dec 5-8: Australia A v England Lions | Allan Border Field (Brisbane)

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