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Nearly nine years on from his solitary Test cap in Sydney comes an England recall for Mason Crane. The leg-spinner has been named in England\u2019s squad for the one-day international tri-series against Pakistan and Sri Lanka. England will fly to Islamabad on 15 October for a round-robin mini-tournament that serves as preparation for next year\u2019s 50-over World Cup. The three teams play each other twice in the group stage, before the top two meet for the final at Lahore\u2019s Gaddafi Stadium on 31 October.<\/p>\n
Jos Buttler will miss the trip due to his recent hamstring tear and Jofra Archer is being rested at the start of a busy winter. But there are returns for Adil Rashid and Sam Curran after injury and a spot for James Coles, while the most eye-catching move is Crane usurping Rehan Ahmed as the back-up wrist-spinner.<\/p>\n Ahmed struggled during the recent 2-1 victory over Sri Lanka and the all-rounder was dropped for the decider. Though primarily a bowler \u2013 and one who has matured in recent seasons \u2013 Crane has added a second string to his bow this summer, scoring two first-class centuries to go with 51 wickets in all formats.<\/p>\n Marcus North, England men\u2019s national selector, said: \u201cMason Crane has been performing consistently for Glamorgan across both formats during the summer. He\u2019s an experienced, high-class leg-spinner who thoroughly deserves another opportunity at international level.\u201d<\/p>\n Jordan Cox is expected to keep wicket in Buttler\u2019s absence, while no Archer brings in the uncapped Henry Crocombe after impressing for Sussex before his winter move to Surrey. It also means the 23-year-old Sonny Baker is likely to take the new ball, having claimed his maiden ODI wicket at the Oval last week.<\/p>\n Now a three-format England cricketer after his Test debut in June, and voted the Professional Cricketers\u2019 Association\u2019s young player of the year by his peers, Baker is hoping a tour of Pakistan will deepen his understanding of reverse swing in the art-form\u2019s spiritual home.<\/p>\n \u201cOne of the biggest things I\u2019m trying to do for the rest of my career is to break it down into segments,\u201d said Baker at the PCA Awards in association with Toyota. \u201cDuring this next period of time, what am I focusing on? What am I trying to get out of it?<\/p>\n \u201cIn Pakistan it would be reverse-swing, trying to bang my yorkers, and learn about executing skills in those conditions. Pakistan is not somewhere I\u2019ve been before. I\u2019m really looking forward to that \u2013 particularly reverse swing, I think it caters to my action quite nicely.\u201d<\/p>\n Reverse is certainly coming back into ODI cricket after the recent tweak to the regulations as the innings start with two new Kookaburra balls, before going down to one of them for the final 16 overs. Power-hitting at the death has become trickier, as evidenced during England\u2019s defeat by Sri Lanka<\/a> at Headingley last week.<\/p>\n
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