Three Players Named in PCC Select XI for Upcoming Match Against Pakistan

The Professional County Club Select XI has announced a 14-man squad for a three-day match commencing on Thursday, featuring three notable players: Emilio Gay, Shoaib Bashir, and Matt Fisher. The match was rescheduled from its original Wednesday start to allow the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to assemble the strongest possible team ahead of next week’s first Test against Pakistan.

Emilio Gay is expected to be fully fit after recently retiring hurt due to a shoulder injury sustained while batting for Durham in the One-Day Cup. He had a promising Test debut against New Zealand in June, scoring a half-century in both the first and second Tests, though he finished the series with an average of 23.16 over six innings.

Shoaib Bashir has had a limited month, featuring only twice for Derbyshire in the One-Day Cup. Despite this, he is recognized as the “number one spinner” available by Marcus North, England’s selector. However, Bashir is not anticipated to play against Pakistan, as England is expected to prioritize four seamers and utilize Dan Lawrence’s offspin following the retirement of Ben Stokes.

Meanwhile, Matt Fisher’s participation in the match is uncertain due to a lack of recent practice; he bowled only ten balls during the Hundred. He is one of seven seamers named in England’s Test squad. His inclusion will depend on the performance and fitness of others after the Hundred, including Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, and Josh Tongue, as well as the potential absence of Ollie Robinson on paternity leave.

Amidst these developments, several England players will have a quick turnaround from the Hundred final at Lord’s on Sunday night to the first Test at Headingley on Wednesday morning. Ben Duckett will participate for the Trent Rockets, with a possibility of others like Atkinson, Carse, Tongue, Harry Brook, Dan Lawrence, and Ollie Pope joining if their teams advance in the tournament.

The PCC Select XI also includes James Rew, who struggled on his Test debut at The Oval in June; Josh Hull, with only eight wickets across formats for Leicestershire this year; Essex’s Noah Thain, the leading run-scorer in the One-Day Cup; and Charlie Tear, a Scotland international with 28 caps. Tom Haines from Sussex will captain the side, which features recent England Under-19 players Luc Benkenstein, Caleb Falconer, and Manny Lumsden. Importantly, the squad does not include players committed to their counties or franchises participating in the knockout stages of either the One-Day Cup or the Hundred.

The team will be coached by Mike Yardy, the head coach of England’s Under-19 team, with the England Lions head coach position currently vacant following Andrew Flintoff’s resignation on Friday.

This week, the Pakistan team has been training at Beckenham after arriving in the UK from a drawn Test series in the Caribbean against West Indies. Shan Masood, who was sidelined with a finger injury during the second Test, participated in a training session under medical supervision on Monday.

The full PCC Select XI squad is as follows: Tom Haines (capt), Shoaib Bashir, Luc Benkenstein, Caleb Falconer, Matt Fisher, Emilio Gay, Nathan Gilchrist, Josh Hull, Manny Lumsden, James Rew, James Sales, Charlie Tear, Noah Thain, and Saif Zaib.

Special Credits: Image Courtesy of Espn