England have named squads for the upcoming white-ball home series against South Africa. The two teams are slated to play three ODIs followed by as many T20 Internationals, starting from July 19 at Chester-le-Street.
Ben Stokes’ exclusion from the T20I series was a big surprise as he missed the three T20Is against India as well. The last time the player featured in England’s T20I side was back in March 2021, and with the T20 World Cup approaching fast, the decision seems a bit perplexing.
Stokes played four Tests against New Zealand and India and is currently playing in the ODI series against India. The management said he has been rested from the T20I series as well as The Hundred competition to manage his workload. Stokes is included for the ODI leg that starts immediately after the conclusion of the India series.
The team’s premier spinner Adil Rashid returns back to the side after missing the series against India due to Hajj Pilgrimage. Jonny Bairstow, who missed the T20I leg against India, has been included in the side. Matthew Potts received an ODI call-up after his impressive performance in Tests.
The rest of the squad remains as it is. England’s top bowling options such as Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, Chris Woakes, Olly Stone and Saqib Mahmood remain unavailable due to injuries. As such, David Willey, Reece Topley, and Richard Gleeson have one more opportunity to put their case forward for the T20 World Cup.
England are currently levelled 1-1 in the ODI series against India, with the final game set to take place on July 17. After a day’s gap, they will host South Africa in the first ODI on July 19.
England will host South Africa in three ODIs and three T20Is followed by a three-match Test series from August 17.
