England opener Ben Duckett will sit out the South Africa T20 series which gets under way next week.
The 30-year-old has been rested after a busy summer playing in all formats of the game, with Surrey all-rounder Sam Curran being recalled to the squad for the first time this year.
The first clash of the three-match series takes place at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff on Wednesday, live on Sky Sports.
England have taken decisive action after back-to-back ODI defeats against South Africa, to ensure a series victory for the tourists ahead of Sunday’s third and final 50-over encounter in Southampton, live on Sky Sports Cricket. The T20 series gets underway thereafter, followed by a similar series against Ireland.
There have been calls to give Duckett a break ahead of this winter’s Ashes, with the left-hander looking unusually subdued in the Metro Bank Series against the Proteas.
He is a first-choice all-format player, and is earmarked for a vital tempo-setting role against Australia this winter, but a draining summer of five full-blooded Tests against India followed by a month of The Hundred have taken a toll.
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England’s Ben Duckett is dismissed by South Africa’s Keshav Maharaj early on in the first ODI as he attempts a reverse sweep
Duckett was off colour during his stint with Birmingham Phoenix in August and was unable to find rhythm as South Africa wrapped up wins at Headingley and Lord’s. He will now sit out the three 20-over games against the Proteas next week, though it remains to be seen if he will retain his spot at opener for Sunday’s third ODI in Southampton.
Captain Harry Brook had rejected the idea that Duckett should be rested in the immediate aftermath of the narrow defeat at Lord’s, but there has since been a rethink behind the scenes.
That includes an olive branch for the previously out-of-favour Curran. The Surrey all-rounder has not played for his country this year, an exile that coincided with head coach Brendon McCullum taking over the reins of the white-ball team, but has put together a strong season on the domestic circuit.
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Oval Invincibles’ Sam Curran took two wickets, bowling at just 47mph during The Hundred this year
He was a key component of the triumphant Oval Invincibles side in The Hundred and has developed an eye-catching slower ball.
Curran has been added to the T20 squad to face South Africa and will also join the travelling party for the three-match trip to Ireland. England’s lack of a seam-bowling all-rounder was exposed by the Proteas as they clinched the series on Thursday, rinsing the part-time spin of Will Jacks and Jacob Bethell for 112 in 10 overs, and Curran stands by as a ready-made solution.
Meanwhile, pace bowler Matthew Potts will not be making the trip to Malahide and will be made available for Durham’s Rothesay County Championship conclusion instead.
Broad: I think there are some jaded minds
England great Stuart Broad pre-empted the selection rethink as he picked the bones out of England’s consecutive defeats, suggesting some of the all-format players were running on empty.
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Stuart Broad discusses England’s current form after their ODI series loss to South Africa
“I thought England looked a bit tired. It’s understandable, that is not me having a dig,” he told Sky Sports Cricket.
“They played 25 days’ solid, hard cricket against India in the Test series and two days later they were straight into the The Hundred. Now they’re playing a white-ball series and the winter is only getting busier.
“Now they have lost this series I would be half-tempted to send Ben Duckett and Joe Root up the M1 (to go home) rather than down to Southampton for the third ODI.
“I think there are some jaded minds. The group look tired. I always look at body language in the field for how it’s going and it felt pretty flat. That’s a bit of a problem.”
England v South Africa fixtures
All live on Sky Sports, all times UK and Ireland 🕰️
First ODI (Headingley): South Africa won by seven wicketsSecond ODI (Lord’s): South Africa win by five runsThird ODI: Sunday September 7 (11am) – Utilita BowlFirst T20: Wednesday September 10 (6.30pm) – Sophia Gardens CardiffSecond T20: Friday September 12 (6.30pm) – Emirates Old TraffordThird T20: Sunday September 14 (2.30pm) – Trent Bridge
England v Ireland fixtures
All live on Sky Sports, all times UK and Ireland 🕰️
First T20: Wednesday September 17 (1.30pm) – Malahide, DublinSecond T20: Friday September 19 (1.30pm) – Malahide, DublinThird T20: Sunday September 21 (1.30pm) – Malahide, Dublin
Watch England’s ODIs and T20s against South Africa live on Sky Sports, with the third ODI at Utilita Bowl on Sunday (10.30am on air, 11am first ball). Stream without a contract.
