Kent trio return to training as England select 55-man squad

Cricket

A trio of Kent county cricketers have been asked to return to training in preparation for England’s potential behind doors internationals.

Sam Billings, the Kent captain, along with Zak Crawley and Joe Denly have been asked to prepare along with more than 50 other cricketers. Kent’s head coach Matt Walker has also returned from being furloughed to help prepare the players for what they hope will be a summer of cricket action. The ECB are hoping England’s men can return to action soon, subject to UK Government clearance.

Kent furloughed the majority of their playing staff at the start of April but they kept Billings on, after a pay cut, while Denly was covered under an England central contract.

Walker, 46, said: “In some ways, it’s been good to have this enforced rest from the game, just to recharge the batteries and rest my throwing arm if nothing else. I felt utterly exhausted after last season, more so than at any point in my life.

“To have this unexpected chance to rest my bones has been a bonus. Now, I’m really looking forward to getting back to business.”

The ECB say they are continuing to work closely with their county partners “to provide a safe and efficient return to practice for players, and is grateful for the support of the counties in assisting with the coaching provision across this period.”

England are due to host three Tests against West Indies behind closed doors this summer and will then face one-day internationals against Ireland before hosting Pakistan. ECB performance director Mo Bobat said: “It’s really pleasing to be in a position to have players returning to training and a huge amount of work has been done by many to get us this far.

“The pool of players will give selectors strong options when it comes to selecting squads across formats further down the line, as we move closer to our aim of playing international cricket this summer.

“We will need to continue to work closely with our medical team and government to ensure that our return to training and play activities are in line with best-practice guidelines.

“We’re also really grateful for the positive and collaborative response from our county colleagues who are doing a great job at facilitating coaching and support for the players. The fact that we can call on our network to support the national effort shows the strength of our system.”

Last week the ECB announced that professional cricket wouldn’t return before August. Kent chief executive Simon Storey reacted: “We appreciate that this latest news will bring further disappointment for members, players, cricket fans and stakeholders across Kent. “However, our priority must remain the health and welfare of everyone who plays, watches or follows cricket.

“I know a huge number of people across the whole game at recreational and professional level, are working incredibly hard to ensure that we are ready to take to the field, as soon as we receive guidance that it is safe to do so.

“We should also remain hopeful that the return to individual training for England players and the opening of some nets at community clubs, is a signal that with the right protocols, we might yet see some domestic cricket played this summer.

“In line with other counties, we plan to review our membership packages once we have greater clarity on what a shortened season this summer might look like.

“We will be contacting all members and match day ticket purchasers within the next week with further information on their options, in light of this new announcement.”

The 2020 season was supposed to begin in mid-april.