Phil Salt and Saqib Mahmood have kept their positions in the England squad for their one-day series against Australia.
The Lancashire duo featured in England’s two previous IT20 encounters against the same opponents.
After the typical rain of Manchester declared a 1-1 result in the three match IT20 series, England power on with their white ball schedule as they face Australia in a five-match series.
And both Salt and Mahmood will no doubt relish the chance to face the reigning world champions, hoping to play key roles in a new era of white ball cricket for England with Brendon McCullum scheduled to take charge of the team from January 2025.
It is likely that both will not feature in all five matches due to rotation being placed as a key factor in the series, but both are expected to receive game time.
Salt faces a rival for the gloves in the series with England’s Test wicketkeeper Jamie Smith also being selected. There is a large differential in ODI experience between the two and it is probable both could stand as wicketkeeper over the series.
Welcome, Saqi! 👋
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) September 17, 2024
We've added @SaqMahmood25 to our ODI squad!
🏴 #ENGvAUS 🇦🇺 | #EnglandCricket pic.twitter.com/g4PxLPU4tH
However, it is feasible they can play in the same XI with Salt acting as a specialist opener and Smith being given the responsibility of keeper.
It is likely the Lancs star will be chosen to open with Ben Duckett due to his relative experience within the team, but the question remains as to whether he will be handed the keeping gloves.
Mahmood will face greater competition for starting places. The 27-year-old has been named in a squad that features seven pace bowlers, including Jofra Archer who continues his return following injury struggles with his elbow. Mahmood’s stats in ODI’s are remarkable, taking eight wickets in 14 matches at an average of 22.85, but like Archer will have to be managed efficiently.
The Lancashire paceman has not played in an ODI since March 2023 having suffered a stress fracture in his back. Combine this with the large cohort of seamers selected, he will potentially only feature in a couple of games.
The series begins at Trent Bridge on 19 September, and both sides will be viewing the five-match series as a true marker of their abilities ahead of the returning ICC Champions Trophy in 2025.
Feature Credit: Mark Percy from Wikimedia Commons
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