Over and out as Malan axed for Caribbean
DAWID MALAN’S international career looks to be over after he was left out of both white-ball squads for england’s trip to the Caribbean despite being the team’s leading run- scorer at the World Cup.
Malan, 36, whose 404 runs left him 100 clear of Ben Stokes at the top of england’s charts, was recently awarded a one-year central contract by the eCB.
And while his omission from the ODI leg of the West Indies tour was no surprise as england embark on a new four-year cycle, it is hard to see how he wins back his T20 place ahead of next summer’s 20-over World Cup in the USA and the Caribbean.
Rob Key, england’s managing director, insisted Malan’s T20 career was not over, but said his form over the last year had counted against the Yorkshire batter.
‘he’s going to have to take the opportunity to go out and improve and get back to the player he was two years ago,’ said Key.
Jos Buttler has retained the captaincy for both the threematch ODI series, starting in Antigua on December 3, and the five-match T20 series, beginning in Barbados nine days later.
But the 50-over squad otherwise contains none of the 30-something cricketers who fell so short of expectations here in India: Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes and Mark Wood have all been left out, while David Willey has now retired from international cricket. Since all bar Ali and Rashid are in contention for the five-Test series in India starting on January 26, england can argue that the one-day door remains ajar. Key said that Root, in particular, needed a break.
But Buttler is the only member of the 15-man oneday squad for the Caribbean on the wrong side of 30, and it makes sense to begin preparing immediately for the 2027 World Cup in South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe.
eye- catching selections include Lancashire slow left-armer Tom hartley, the 24-year- old who made his england debut in September against Ireland, and uncapped 22-year-old hampshire quick John Turner.
As expected, the Test team’s top three — Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope — all make the trip, along with Lancashire opener Phil Salt. Sam Curran and Liam Livingstone are both retained, despite disappointing World Cups.
Reece Topley is in the T20 squad after breaking a finger at the World Cup, as is fellow left- arm quick Tymal Mills.