The Lions will provide opposition for two of England’s Ashes warm-up matches
The 14-man squad, which will shadow the Test side and provide the opposition for two of England’s Ashes warm-up fixtures, includes four players who have previously played Test cricket, in James Bracey, Mason Crane, Ben Foakes and Dom Sibley.
Matt Parkinson and Saqib Mahmood, two players who have been regularly involved in England white-ball squads and came into discussions for the Ashes, are also in the group, while Durham opener Alex Lees returns to Lions contention for the first time in six years.
“I’m going to have a break for a bit,” Livingstone said. “I haven’t had one for about three years. There’s the T10 that’s straight after the World Cup, so I’ll play in that and have a bit of break then spend a bit of time with my family. I haven’t spent a Christmas at home for a number of years so it’ll definitely be nice to have a bit of a break from cricket for a little bit.”
Yates scored five first-class centuries during a breakthrough summer, while Norwell was Warwickshire’s leading wicket-taker as they won the County Championship and Bob Willis Trophy. Bohannon, a nuggety middle-order player, made 853 runs at 53.31 in the Championship, while Smith, who can bat in a variety of positions and also keeps wicket, scored three hundreds while averaging 43.73.
The Lions are due to depart for Australia next month, where they will quarantine in Queensland before helping to sharpen England’s Ashes preparations in two intra-squad matches – one three-day fixture and one four-day. They are also due to play Australia A in Brisbane from December 9-12 before flying home a few days later, although a few may stay on as Ashes cover.
England Lions squad: Tom Abell (Somerset), Josh Bohannon (Lancashire), James Bracey (Gloucestershire), Brydon Carse (Durham), Mason Crane (Hampshire), Matthew Fisher (Yorkshire), Ben Foakes (Surrey), Alex Lees (Durham), Saqib Mahmood (Lancashire), Liam Norwell (Warwickshire), Matt Parkinson (Lancashire), Dom Sibley (Warwickshire), Jamie Smith (Surrey), Rob Yates (Warwickshire)