James Vince and former Hampshire colleague Danny Briggs win ODI recalls as England name totally new squad due to positive Covid-19 tests

Danny Briggs, left, has been recalled by England after an absence of over seven years. Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images.

Vince’s former Ageas Bowl colleague Danny Briggs - whose sole ODI appearance was in February 2012 - has also been named in a squad which includes nine players previously uncapped in ODIs.

Test batsmen Zak Crawley and Dan Lawrence have their first opportunity in white-ball cricket and they are joined by Durham’s Brydon Carse, Middlesex pair Tom Helm and John Simpson, Surrey’s Will Jacks, Gloucestershire’s David Payne, Somerset’s Lewis Gregory and Phil Salt of Sussex.

Returning to the fold - in a squad to be captained by Ben Stokes - after absences of varying lengths are Vince, Briggs, Craig Overton, Jake Ball and Ben Duckett.

Those parachuted into the swiftly-assembled gathering, players and support staff, will follow PCR tests and bridging protocols to ensure safe entry into the camp.

England start their 50-over series against Pakistan at Sophia Gardens on Thursday before heading to Lord’s on Saturday and then finishing at Edgbaston next Tuesday.

England are then due to play against the same opponents in three Twenty20s on July 16, 18 and 20 at Trent Bridge, Headingley and Emirates Old Trafford respectively.

The selectors were forced to act after a major Covid-19 outbreak hit the camp.

PCR tests administered in Bristol yesterday showed three players and four members of staff returned positive results and the remainder of the group were classified as close contacts, forcing them to isolate in line with public health guidelines.

Vince has only played three ODIs since England’s World Cup win in 2019 - all against Ireland at The Ageas Bowl last August when he scored 25, 16 and 16.

His last T20 international was against New Zealand in November 2019.

Briggs, though, has been away from the international scene for some time. In addition to his solitary ODI cap, the spinner – now at Warwickshire - also won seven T20 international caps, the last coming against Australia at Hobart in January 2014.

Ashley Giles, managing director of men’s cricket at the ECB, said: ‘It’s a great opportunity to play on the biggest stage, and for most of the players selected it’s not necessarily something they would have been expecting 24 hours ago.

‘It’s an exciting group of players, with some young talent and some players who have impressed at domestic level over a long period of time.

‘We’re in unprecedented territory, in terms of replacing an entire squad and management team, and I’m very proud of how everyone has come together in order to get it done – both those within the ECB and from the county game.

‘Ben hasn’t captained our ODI side before so it’s a huge honour for him. We all wish him well and it’s a role I’m sure he’ll thrive in.

‘I’d like to also put on record the thanks of the ECB to the PCB for their support and understanding during this time.’

The players called up will leave their current County Championship matches. Vince has already batted for Hampshire against Surrey while Jacks was due to resume on one not out at The Ageas Bowl this morning, but the match has been held up due to rain.

Vince will be replaced by teenage batsman Tom Prest, who will make his first class debut, while Kyle Abbott will skipper Hampshire.

England squad: Ben Stokes (Durham, captain), Jake Ball (Nottinghamshire), Danny Briggs (Warwickshire), Brydon Carse (Durham), Zak Crawley (Kent), Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire), Lewis Gregory (Somerset), Tom Helm (Middlesex), Will Jacks (Surrey), Dan Lawrence (Essex), Saqib Mahmood (Lancashire), Dawid Malan (Yorkshire), Craig Overton (Somerset), Matt Parkinson (Lancashire), David Payne (Gloucestershire), Phil Salt (Sussex), John Simpson (Middlesex), James Vince (Hampshire)