England Check captain Ben Stokes and all-rounder Moeen Ali will likely be a part of the England Lions teaching workers for his or her collection in opposition to Pakistan Shaheens within the United Arab Emirates subsequent month.
Stokes is at the moment recovering from an adductor harm he sustained within the fifth Check in opposition to Australia earlier this month, whereas Moeen takes on his first teaching function with the Lions.
Moeen and Stokes, who will proceed his harm rehabilitation within the UAE, will help head coach Andrew Flintoff for a three-match T20 collection and 5 50-over matches in opposition to Pakistan’s second string.
Moeen performed 298 matches for England earlier than retiring from worldwide cricket in 2024, however introduced on Monday he was cancelling plans to retire from home cricket and signing for Yorkshire.
Elite nationwide tempo bowling lead Troy Cooley, who rejoined the England set-up final week, former South Africa batter Neil McKenzie, ex-England wicketkeeper Sarah Taylor, former Durham seamer Neil Killeen and Amar Rashid, brother of England spinner Adil, make up the remainder of the teaching get together.
Jordan Cox and Dan Mousley will captain the respective T20 and 50-over squads on the Lions’ first away white-ball collection since touring Sri Lanka in 2022.
The pair are joined by fellow full internationals Saqib Mahmood, who is known as within the T20 squad, and Matthew Potts, who will play within the 50-over matches.
Essex seamer Sam Prepare dinner, who gained his one Check cap in opposition to Zimbabwe final summer time however missed out on the Lions touring get together that shadowed the Ashes squad, is known as in each squads.
The extremely regarded James Rew, Asa Tribe and James Coles additionally function within the squads, whereas Scott Currie has been chosen after being dominated out of Scotland’s T20 World Cup squad.
“It is thrilling to have such a robust England Lions squad chosen,” mentioned ECB males’s efficiency director Ed Barney.
“This group brings an actual mix of confirmed performers, thrilling expertise who’ve carried out over the winter and retains an eye fixed on future finest.
“With restricted 50-over cricket on supply, this collection mixed with excursions over the rest of 2026 will give gamers the chance to develop and ship as we construct in direction of the 2027 ICC Males’s World Cup in South Africa.”
Rashid has beforehand coached England pathway cricketers and joins the Lions teaching workers for a spell earlier than returning to the South Asian Cricket Academy (SACA), which has produced various gamers for county sides.
“We have seen simply what Amar is able to as a coach and it comes as little shock to us that his abilities have been recognised by these working the Lions arrange,” mentioned SACA founder Tom Brown.
“At SACA we’re enormously pleased with the alternatives we have now created within the skilled recreation for not solely our South Asian gamers, however for our coaches too.”
The tour begins with the primary T20 match on 21 February, with members of the teaching get together attending both all or a part of the tour.
