England U19s have named a familiar squad for this summer’s tri-series against India and Bangladesh, retaining ten players from the touring party that was beaten in all three formats in Bangladesh at the start of the year.
George Balderson, the Lancashire all-rounder, will captain the squad for the first time, while there are maiden call-ups for Tom Clark (Sussex), Blake Cullen (Middlesex), Joey Evison (Nottinghamshire), and James Taylor (Derbyshire).
All of the 16 squad members will be eligible for selection for the U19 World Cup in South Africa in 2020, while recent regulars Jamie Smith, Adam Finch, and Tom Lammonby are all past the age threshold.
Each team plays eight games in the tri-series, which runs through July and August, with the final at Hove on 11 August.
The squad includes Ben Charlesworth, the all-rounder who broke into Gloucestershire’s Championship side in last week’s defeat to Middlesex, and Hamidullah Qadri, the offspinner who became Derbyshire’s youngest-ever player when he made his debut two years ago but has been limited to second-team cricket this summer.
Jon Lewis, the U19s head coach, said: “We’re expecting a big test against India and Bangladesh this summer – two countries who are very strong at this level of cricket.
“We enjoyed a brilliant learning experience on tour to Bangladesh in the New Year, where our players were tested in some unfamiliar conditions, so it will be interesting to see if we can turn the tables on home soil.
“These fixtures are excellent for developing a player’s skills, experience and character – some of the best young cricketers from the three countries will be battling against each other and these ‘best versus best’ experiences are what we feel give the players the greatest opportunity for learning whilst on the international pathway.”
England U19 squad: George Balderson (Lancashire, captain), Kasey Aldridge (Somerset), Ben Charlesworth (Gloucestershire), Tom Clark (Sussex), Jordan Cox (Kent), Blake Cullen (Middlesex), Joey Evison (Nottinghamshire), Lewis Goldsworthy (Somerset), Jack Haynes (Worcestershire), George Hill (Yorkshire), Nick Kimber (Nottinghamshire), Dominic Leech (Yorkshire), Jack Morley (Lancashire), Daniel Mousley (Warwickshire), Hamidullah Qadri, James Taylor (both Derbyshire).
Source: ESPN Crickinfo