Bracey’s call-up County star is named in squad for Tests
GLOUCESTERSHIRE’S wicketkeeper-batsman James Bracey has been named in a 30-man England squad to train behind closed doors in preparation for the Test series against the West Indies.
They will go into camp at the Ageas Bowl on Tuesday June 23 ahead of the first Test, starting on July 8.
The group, along with a separate redball management team, will live, prepare and train on-site at the Ageas Bowl.
On July 1, the players will participate in a three-day practice match after which, the squad for the first Test will be selected.
Bracey has been training at the Bristol County Ground since the beginning of June alongside Gloucestershire head coach Richard Dawson and head of medical David Bartlett.
Bracey has also been busy practising with the Somerset players who were called up to the original 55-man England training group in Taunton alongside former England cricketer Marcus Trescothick.
The 23-year-old is one of four wicketkeepers in the squad, alongside Jos Buttler, Jonny Bairstow and Ben Foakes.
He enjoyed an excellent tour Down Under with the England Lions.
Dawson was head coach on that tour. and he said: “James has worked very hard. He got the opportunity to go away in the winter to India and then Australia.
“During both trips he trained hard, he learned a lot and most importantly he performed well.
“Since we have been back, he’s been batting beautifully and working a lot on his keeping.
“He’s a genuine top order batsman whereas the others are middle order.
“They have more time keeping than he does but I think he’s got the extra string to his bow with his batting.
“The 30-man squad that are about to go into the bubble is just another challenge for him and he has earned the right to be where he is. It’s a very exciting time for him and for the club who are behind him all the way.“
Dawson will also be joining the England party as he is taking on the role of spin coach for the West Indies series.
Dawson has been working closely with some of the country’s established and up-and-coming spinners since late last year and now has the opportunity to coach under Chris Silverwood.
The news came as a big surprise. “I wasn’t expecting it at all,” Dawson said.
“I was preparing for the season at Gloucestershire and waiting for guidance from the ECB on the county schedule and then this great opportunity came up.
“I’m really looking forward to working with the England group and I’m grateful to be asked to work with such top class players and coaches.”
Dawson will join the England setup on Tuesday ahead of the first Test and will be with the team until July 27.
In his absence, assistant head coach Ian Harvey will take charge of the Gloucestershire squad should first team training resume before his return.
Harvey will be helped in large part by Bartlett, who will take on a larger role due to lockdown restrictions.
Dawson is confident the Gloucestershire side will be in good hands when they return: “If training resumes then Ian Harvey will be leading the team in training.
“There won’t be any fixtures but the whole squad will be in good hands. All of the coaching staff have been around for a long time and they know how it works.
“The guidelines provided by the Government will probably be the biggest challenge given that we can’t do things normally but the training will take care of itself.”