Bangladesh v England: Haseeb Hameed, Ben Duckett & Zafar Ansari in tour squad

293
Bangladesh v England
Haseeb Hameed, Ben Duckett and Zafar Ansari feature in a slightly bigger than normal 17-man squad

Teenager Haseeb Hameed is one of three uncapped players in England’s Test squad for the tour of Bangladesh.

The Lancashire opener, 19, is joined in a 17-man party by Northamptonshire batsman Ben Duckett and Surrey all-rounder Zafar Ansari.

Surrey off-spinner Gareth Batty, who turns 39 in October, is also included, 11 years after playing his last Test.

Wicketkeeper Jos Buttler will captain the one-day side after Eoin Morganpulled out over security concerns.

No international side has toured Bangladesh since 20 people were killed in a siege at a cafe in Dhaka in July.

The England and Wales Cricket Board said in August that tour would go ahead following a security review.

Buttler is also named in the Test squad, along with fast bowler Mark Wood, who has not played a Test since October 2015 following an ankle injury.

Batsman Joe Root has been rested from the one-day team, while James Vince has been dropped from the Test side but included in the ODI squad.

England play three one-day internationals in Bangladesh, starting on 7 October, followed by a two-Test series from 20 October.

Bangladesh v England
Haseeb Hameed describes emotional first England call-up

History beckons for Hameed

Opening batsman Hameed, who has scored 1,129 runs at an average of 52 in County Championship Division One this season, replaces Alex Hales, who has chosen not to tour because of safety concerns.

If former England Under-19 captain Hameed plays in the first Test in Chittagong, he will become only the second teenager to appear in the longer form of the game for England since 1949.

“His four centuries, against some of the best bowling attacks in the country, are testament to his outstanding temperament and attitude,” said national selector James Whitaker.

All-rounder Ben Hollioake, who was 19 when he played against Australia in 1997, is the only other teenager to appear in a Test for England since 18-year-old Brian Close made his debut in 1949.

Bangladesh v England

Duckett, 21, has scored heavily in all three formats in domestic cricket, with four centuries in 15 first-class games and an average of 99 in one-day cricket.

The left-hander made 163 not out and 220 not out for England Lions in July’s triangular one-day series against Pakistan A and Sri Lanka A.

He also features in the England one-day squad, alongside Kent wicketkeeper Sam Billings and Hampshire left-arm spinner Liam Dawson.

Spinners to the fore

Bangladesh v England
Gareth Batty took 11 wickets at an average of almost 67 in seven Tests between 2003 and 2005

England have selected four spinners in the Test squad, with Surrey captain Batty and 24-year-old slow left-armer Ansari joining off-spinner Moeen Ali and leg-spinner Adil Rashid.

The most recent of Batty’s seven Tests came against Bangladesh in 2005, but he has taken 41 championship wickets at an average of 32 this season.

Ansari was named in England’s Test squad to tour Pakistan last year, butdislocated a thumb hours after being called up. He has claimed 39 wickets at 31 apiece in the championship this summer.

Test captain Alastair Cook travels to Bangladesh a week before the rest of the Test squad to practise, before returning home for the birth of his second child.

He will miss both two-day warm-up matches starting on 14 and 16 October and rejoin the squad in time for the first Test.

England’s dearth of quality spinners was exposed last year against Pakistan,both in terms of wicket-taking and keeping control.

It is with that in mind that Batty’s experience has been called upon after an 11-year absence. Zafar Ansari brings the spin count to four, plus Joe Root.

Haseeb Hameed has impressed as much with his temperament as his quality, while Ben Duckett gets a chance to show his range of strokes.

England Test squad

Alastair Cook (captain, Essex), Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), James Anderson (Lancashire), Zafar Ansari (Surrey), Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire), Gary Ballance (Yorkshire), Gareth Batty (Surrey), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Jos Buttler (wk, Lancashire), Ben Duckett (Northamptonshire), Steven Finn (Middlesex), Haseeb Hameed (Lancashire), Adil Rashid (Yorkshire), Joe Root (Yorkshire), Ben Stokes (Durham), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire), Mark Wood (Durham).

England ODI squad

Jos Buttler (captain, Lancashire), Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire), Jake Ball (Nottinghamshire), Sam Billings (Kent), Liam Dawson (Hampshire), Ben Duckett (Northamptonshire), Liam Plunkett (Yorkshire), Adil Rashid (Yorkshire), Jason Roy (Surrey), Ben Stokes (Durham), James Vince (Hampshire), David Willey (Yorkshire), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire), Mark Wood (Durham).

England in Bangladesh
7 Oct: 1st ODI, Dhaka 20-24 Oct: 1st Test, Chittagong
9 Oct: 2nd ODI, Dhaka 28 Oct – 1 Nov: 2nd Test, Mirpur
12 Oct: 3rd ODI, Chittagong ODIs start at 08:00 BST; T