England have recently announced their squad to face Pakistan in the first test match of the series against Lord’s on the 14th July. The big decision came in the form of recalling Gary Ballance to the England side after a year-long absence after he was dropped following Australia’s demolition of England last year, and even Ballance himself was surprised to be recalled. Elsewhere, on the bowling front, England were dealt a blow with James Anderson ruled out after he failed to recover properly from a shoulder injury that has kept him out of action for a while.
Who to pick in the squad had caused much debate in the build up to the series, with Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler said to be in consideration to make the team as batsmen. However, Trevor Bayliss opted for Ballance to replace Nick Compton, who has decided to take an indefinite break from cricket. Compton had been number three for England and his absence has caused something of a reshuffle in the batting order. Joe Root will move up to three, where you would still expect him to excel, with James Vince coming in at four and Ballance at five. It is a chance for Yorkshire batsman Ballance to answer his critics after he came in for a lot of criticism for his technique, which involves a big movement back towards his stumps when the bowler delivers. That saw opponents target him with full-length deliveries and that is something that Pakistan will no doubt target early on in the match. Although, Ballance says that his time away from the spotlight has allowed him to work on his game, and he will be hopeful of recapturing the early form he showed for the Test side. If you think he can play a part in an England win you can take advantage of bookies free betting at bookies.com who have a range of offers and free bets ahead of the series.
In terms of the bowling attack against Sri Lanka at Lord’s, the England selectors made another surprising selection. That came in the form of Toby Roland-Jones, a 28-year old who is previously untested at this level, although he has shown consistent form at county cricket level for Middlesex. Another debutant is Jake Ball, and at least one of them is in line to feature on the biggest stage, and potentially both with Steven Finn in somewhat indifferent form. Despite England’s selection news, perhaps the biggest story will come from the opposition. That’s because Mohammad Amir is returning to the game after his role in the 2010 spot-fixing scandal. Ironically, he is back at Lord’s where the offence took place.
Overall, the upcoming series promises to be an exciting moment for England fans, who will anticipate a tough test. For the selectors they will be hoping the somewhat controversial decision to recall Gary Ballance pays off and he can reward their faith with a good score. Likewise, the bowlers will have the chance to stake their claim to be the future in the absence of Jimmy Anderson.
