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Zaman Akhter named in England Lions squad for tour of South Africa

3 October 2024

Gloucestershire seamer Zaman Akhter has been named in the England Lions squad for the upcoming tour of South Africa.

Akhter is part of a 19-player squad selected for the tour, which will take place from 20th November to 14th December and will include a four-day match against South Africa A in Western Province.

The 25-year-old made his Lions debut earlier in 2024, taking five wickets for 32 runs in the first innings of the Lions' four day match against Sri Lanka at New Road. He followed up his outstanding first innings effort with 2-59 in the second, playing a pivotal role as the home side ran out victors by 7 wickets.

The camp will focus on supporting the development of the highest potential players, with a focus on individualised and high-quality training. 

England Lions Squad:
 
Farhan Ahmed (Nottinghamshire)
Zaman Akhtar (Gloucestershire)
Kasey Aldridge (Somerset)
Pat Brown (Derbyshire)
Jafer Chohan (Yorkshire) – part involvement
James Coles (Sussex)
Henry Crocombe (Sussex)
Josh Hull (Leicestershire)
Matt Hurst (Lancashire) – part involvement
Tom Lawes (Surrey)
Freddie McCann (Nottinghamshire)
Ben McKinney (Durham)
Harry Moore (Derbyshire)
Dan Mousley (Warwickshire)
Dillon Pennington (Nottinghamshire)
James Rew (Somerset)
Hamza Shaikh (Warwickshire)
Mitch Stanley (Lancashire)
John Turner (Hampshire)
 
The group includes six players – Jafer Chohan, Henry Crocombe, Matt Hurst, Freddie McCann, Harry Moore, and Mitch Stanley – who are experiencing their first Lions call-up. 

Due to their Big Bash League commitments, Chohan, the Yorkshire leg-spinner, and Lancashire wicketkeeper-batter Hurst will join for part of the tour. 
 
Four players have previously been involved in England’s senior squads: Pat Brown, Josh Hull, Dan Mousley, and Dillon Pennington. Derbyshire seamer Brown represented England at T20 level, with the last of his four caps coming in November 2019. Leicestershire seamer Hull earned his England Test debut last month at The Kia Oval against Sri Lanka.
 
This tour will mark the first for newly appointed England Lions Head Coach Andrew Flintoff. The former England international and current coach of the Northern Superchargers in The Hundred, will lead the Lions over the next 12 months.
  
England Men’s Lions Head Coach, Andrew Flintoff, commented: “We’re delighted to have such a high-potential group of players heading to South Africa. In selecting these players, we have a mix of well-established performers who’ve been in the England setup and excelled in the domestic game, through to some of the most exciting young talent coming through."
 
“The camp will support and accelerate the players’ development, provide insight into various aspects of the international setup and aid their transition into future performance setups”.
 
England Men’s Performance Director, Ed Barney, commented: “Selection aligns with England’s short and long-term needs across all formats, and we will continue supporting a group of exciting pace bowlers. Over half the squad consists of seamers, reflecting our continued focus on supporting these players to achieve their potential.

“We are also excited about the competitive match opportunities, with a four-day fixture against South Africa A offering the opportunity for the squad to enjoy putting their skills on show against strong opposition.”

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