England has announced the inclusion of Jordan Cox and Rehan Ahmed in their white-ball teams for the upcoming Caribbean tour, which kicks off next Thursday.
Currently part of the England Test squad in Pakistan, Cox is expected to return home after the first day of the series decider in Rawalpindi. He will then join the white-ball team for their departure to Antigua on Monday. Rehan, who is set to play in the third Test, will arrive in the Caribbean later and is unlikely to participate in the opening ODI against the West Indies on Thursday.
Cox, a wicketkeeper-batter from Essex, is poised to make his Test debut during England’s subsequent tour of New Zealand, which closely follows the Caribbean trip. His involvement in the Caribbean could be brief, as he may miss the five-match T20I series to arrive in New Zealand in time for a warm-up match in Queenstown on the weekend of November 23, ahead of the first Test starting on November 27.
Having debuted internationally during last month’s T20I series against Australia, Cox is on track to earn his first ODI cap in the Caribbean. This comes as Jos Buttler will miss the 50-over segment of the tour due to a setback in his recovery from a calf injury. Cox is also expected to take over wicketkeeping duties in the New Zealand series as Jamie Smith may miss at least one Test due to paternity leave.
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Rehan’s participation in the third Test in Pakistan will likely exclude him from at least the initial ODI, and he might not be considered until the T20Is. He is one of three wrist-spinners selected in England’s squads, joining Adil Rashid, a key figure in their white-ball setup, and uncapped Yorkshire leg-spinner Jafer Chohan.
When announcing the squads, England indicated that two Test players would be incorporated and had always intended to bring Cox and Rehan to the Caribbean. This week, it was confirmed that Liam Livingstone will captain the team during their three ODIs, stepping in for Buttler.
Meanwhile, the West Indies find themselves trailing 2-0 in an ODI series against Sri Lanka, with a final match scheduled for Saturday. They have yet to release their squads for the series. The first ODI is set to take place in Antigua on October 31, and the tour will conclude with the fifth T20I in St Lucia on November 18.
England ODI and T20I Squads
Jos Buttler (Captain, T20Is only)
Rehan Ahmed
Jofra Archer
Jacob Bethell
Jafer Chohan
Jordan Cox
Sam Curran
Will Jacks
Liam Livingstone (ODI Captain)
Saqib Mahmood
Dan Mousley
Jamie Overton
Adil Rashid
Phil Salt
Reece Topley
John Turner
