Opener Dawid Malan has been called up as cover for England’s T20I series openers against India at Manchester on Tuesday (July 3).
The left-handed batsman was added to the original squad after seamer Tom Curran suffered a side strain. However, with more than handy bowling options in the 14-member side, the hosts opted against a like-for-like replacement and instead called up an opening batsman who has already notched up four half-centuries in his five-match international T20I career so far.
“I got a message from [national selector] Ed Smith saying I had been called up for one game,” Malan told Sky Sports while commentating on the English domestic One-Day Cup final at Lord’s on Saturday (June 30).
Read: England name ODI squad to face India
“I’m just delighted to be part of the squad. [T20] gave me a great opportunity to show what I could do as a player and express myself. It’s nice to be in and around it again and back around the England boys and hopefully, I get an opportunity.”
Malan announced himself with a sparkling 44-ball 78 on debut against South Africa in June last year. He followed it up with three half-centuries in four games of the T20I tri-series against New Zealand and Australia, in February. The left-hander averages 50 in the format with a strike rate of 150.
Meanwhile, Curran is expected to recover in time for the second and the third T20I of the series, at Cardiff and Bristol respectively.
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