Abu Dhabi: Dan Lawrence has been named as Harry Brook’s replacement in England’s Test squad for their tour of India starting on January 25 in Hyderabad. An earlier statement from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said Brook would be missing England’s entire tour of India due to personal reasons.
“Surrey’s Dan Lawrence to join the England Men’s Test squad in the next 24 hours,” said a post from England Cricket on its social media accounts. Lawrence, 26, bats in the middle-order, just like Brook and has earned 11 Test caps so far, amassing 551 runs at an average of 29, including four half-centuries.
He’s also bagged three wickets with his part-time off-spin. Lawrence featured thrice during England’s tour of India in 2021, scoring 149 runs and averaging 24.83. He had not been included in England Lions’ ongoing series against India ‘A’ in Ahmedabad.
Instead, he played for Melbourne Stars in Australia’s BBL and is currently in the UAE to play for Desert Vipers in the ILT20 season two. Lawrence’s inclusion means England have sufficient options to see who can take Brook’s role in the middle-order, with two more options in wicketkeeper-batters Jonny Bairstow and Ben Foakes.
Brook’s loss is a significant development for England, as the right-handed batter has been one of the shining stars for the side in the last one and a half years of playing Tests. He averages 62.16 from 12 Tests, scoring 1181 runs at a strike-rate of 91.76 including four centuries and seven fifties.
He had his breakout moment in England’s tour of Pakistan in December 2022, where he was adjudged Player of the Series for scoring 468 runs from five innings at an average of 93.60, hitting three centuries, including a superb 153.
England will be arriving in Hyderabad on Sunday, after spending the last ten days preparing for the Test tour of India in Abu Dhabi. The Ben Stokes-led side are expected to train at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Monday, ahead of the first Test on January 25.
–IANS
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