England have released Rehan Ahmed and James Rew from their Test squad to play 50-over cricket for the Lions against South Africa A. The three-match one-day series starts at Grace Road, Leicester, on Friday, with further fixtures scheduled at New Road, Worcester, on June 7 and 9.
Both players missed out on selection for England’s Test XI against New Zealand at Lord’s. They are now part of a 17-man Lions squad that will rotate players in and out to allow them to fulfil county commitments in the Vitality T20 Blast when not selected for Lions fixtures.
Saqib Mahmood Returns and Jordan Cox Features After IPL
One of the more significant names in the Lions squad is Saqib Mahmood, who is working his way back from a knee injury that kept him out of England’s T20 World Cup squad. This series gives him a chance to build match fitness and push for a return to international cricket at the highest level.
Jordan Cox has also been included after returning from the IPL this week. Cox is among several players using this series as a platform to press their case ahead of England’s white-ball squad announcements for the India tour next month.
Mason Crane, who last represented England back in 2018, earns a recall after a strong start to the current season with Glamorgan. His inclusion signals that selectors are keeping an eye on form across the counties rather than relying solely on established names.
Middlesex’s Caleb Falconer is another player to watch. He scored a century in England’s Under-19 World Cup final defeat to India in Zimbabwe earlier this year. His former Under-19 team-mates Ben Mayes and Thomas Rew are also part of the squad.
South Africa A Bring Strong Set of Recent Internationals
South Africa A have named a competitive squad for the series. It includes several players with recent senior international experience — Ottneil Baartman, Gerald Coetzee, Tony de Zorzi, Bjorn Fortuin, Kwena Maphaka and Lhuan-dré Pretorius are all part of the group.
This is not a lightweight opposition. The Lions were beaten in both first-class matches during South Africa A’s current tour of England, which makes the 50-over series an important opportunity for English fringe players to show what they can do under competitive pressure.
The Lions have had very little 50-over cricket in recent years. Only one such match was played in the past three years, after four of their five scheduled fixtures against Pakistan A in March were cancelled due to geopolitical issues in the Middle East.
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India Tour Places Up for Grabs in Coming Weeks
The bigger picture here is the India tour. India will travel to England for five T20Is and three ODIs running from July 1 to 19. Selection meetings for England’s white-ball squads are expected to take place in the coming weeks.
Players like Cox, Mahmood, Rehan Ahmed and Sussex’s James Coles are directly in the frame. Performances in this Lions series will carry weight when selectors sit down to finalise their squads.
The ECB and Cricket South Africa have also arranged a reciprocal tour for December, adding further context to this short series beyond just the immediate selection picture.
Full Lions Squad
James Coles, Noah Cornwell, Jordan Cox, Mason Crane, Henry Crocombe, Scott Currie, Caleb Falconer, Eddie Jack, Saqib Mahmood, Ben Mayes, Ben McKinney, Dan Mousley, Matthew Potts, Rehan Ahmed, James Rew, Thomas Rew, Asa Tribe.
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