Pat Brown, Tom Banton receive maiden ODI call-ups for South Africa series

[Ulquiorra]

 

Banton, who played three T20Is in New Zealand, has scored 524 runs in 17 List A innings. © Getty

England have left Test captain Joe Root out of the T20I squad for their three-game series against South Africa in February while there are maiden call-ups to the ODI squad for Pat Brown, Tom Banton, Saqib Mahmood and Matt Parkinson.

Root was rested for the five-match T20I tour of New Zealand last month as England opted to blood a batch of younger players and give a break to a host of established stars after a hectic summer which included the World Cup and Ashes. However, unlike the others who were rested for the New Zealand trip, Root has not been selected for the T20I series against South Africa, which begins on February 12 in East London in an indication that the selectors want to look at other options in the shortest format.

Competition for places is fierce. England have a host of other top-order players who currently have stronger claims to a place in the top four than Root. The form of Dawid Malan, who averages 57.25 in T20I cricket, has pushed Root further down a pecking order which includes the power of Jos Buttler, Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow as well as captain Eoin Morgan. Root still remains in England's T20I plans but, at present, it is difficult to see where he will return.

Buttler, Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer and Mark Wood, all of whom missed the New Zealand series, return to the T20I squad as England look ahead to next year's World Cup in Australia. Leg-spinner Parkinson retains his place alongside Adil Rashid as does Worcestershire seamer Brown. Five players, who were involved in the 3-2 victory last month against the Blackcaps, have been dropped for the South Africa series: Banton, Sam Billings, Lewis Gregory, Mahmood and James Vince.

Banton and Mahmood have, however, been selected in the 16-man squad for the three-match ODI series which precedes the T20Is. They will be joined by Parkinson and Brown, making it four uncapped 50-over players selected. The series, which begins in Cape Town on February 4, will be the first time England have played 50-over cricket since their World Cup triumph. Eight of the squad who lifted the trophy at Lord's in July have been selected while Archer, Buttler, Stokes and Wood, all of whom have been picked for the Test leg of the tour, will sit out the ODI series before returning for the T20s.

After impressing in New Zealand, Malan has been selected in the 50-over squad too and will be looking to add to his solitary ODI cap, which he won against Ireland in May. Chris Jordan, a mainstay of the T20I side, has also been selected in the ODI squad. Although he was part of the party for the pre-World Cup series against Pakistan earlier this year, Jordan last played 50-over cricket for England in September 2016. Kent's Joe Denly has been selected in both white-ball squads.

"These two squads were selected with an eye on the T20 World Cup in Australia in 2020," said Ed Smith, national selector. "In the T20s, a number of players who were rested for the successful 3-2 victory in New Zealand return to the squad. We want to expand the pool of players who can perform successfully for England, while also helping the team to peak for major tournaments."

England white-ball tour of South Africa 2020

Friday 31 January: 50-over tour match - Cricket South Africa Invitation XI v England - Boland Park, Paarl (10.00am SAST start)

Saturday 1 February: 50-over tour match - South Africa 'A' v England - Boland Park, Paarl (10.00am SAST start)

Tuesday 4 February: 1st ODI - South Africa v England - PPC Newlands Cricket Stadium, Cape Town (1.00pm SAST start)

Friday 7 February: 2nd ODI - South Africa v England - Kingsmead Cricket Stadium, Durban (1.00pm SAST start)

Sunday 9 February: 3rd ODI - South Africa v England - The Wanderers Cricket Stadium, Johannesburg (10.00am SAST start)

Wednesday 12 February: 1st IT20 - South Africa v England - Buffalo Park, East London (6.00pm SAST start)

Friday 14 February: 2nd IT20 - South Africa v England - Kingsmead Cricket Stadium, Durban (6.00pm SAST start)

Sunday February 16: 3rd IT20 - South Africa v England - SuperSport Park, Centurion (2.40pm SAST start)