Rocky Flintoff named in England Lions squad

Rocky Flintoff has been named in the England Lions squad for their tour of Australia in January.

The 16-year-old Lancashire batter is the son of the Lions coach and legendary former England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff.

A youthful 16-man party also includes England Test players Shoaib Bashir, Tom Hartley and Josh Tongue.

Part of England's wider preparations for the Ashes next winter, the Lions play two matches against a Cricket Australia XI and a four-day unofficial Test against Australia A.

Rocky Flintoff signed his first professional deal for Lancashire in June off the back of making a century for the club's second XI in April.

He made his first-team debut in July and has since played four first-class matches and seven List A games.

Andrew Flintoff, 47, was named Lions head coach in September. On his first tour in charge, in South Africa earlier this month, Rocky was promoted from the England Under-19s to the Lions.

Off-spinner Bashir has played 15 Tests since making his England debut on the tour of India in February. His inclusion is an opportunity for experience in Australia before his expected role as England's first-choice spinner during the Ashes.

Left-arm spinner Hartley played all five Tests in India in early 2024 but has not been part of an England squad since the T20 World Cup. Pace bowler Tongue played in the home Ashes of 2023 and is working back to fitness from a pectoral injury that has kept him out of action for more than a year.

Pace bowlers John Turner and Pat Brown, who have both played for the senior England team in white-ball cricket, are also included.

Warwickshire captain Alex Davies, 30, and prolific Essex seamer Sam Cook, 27, provide experience. Promising Somerset wicketkeeper-batter James Rew has been a fixture in recent Lions squads.

Along with Flintoff, there are a number of players with fewer than 10 first-class matches, including pace bowler John Turner and batters Ben McKinney, Freddie McCann and Hamza Shaikh.

Pace bowlers Sonny Baker and Mitchell Stanley, of Hampshire and Lancashire respectively, are yet to make their first-class debuts.

Left-arm seamer Josh Hull, who made his Test debut against Sri Lanka in September, will travel as part of his return from a quad injury, but is not part of the official squad.

England Lions squad for tour of Australia: Sonny Baker (Hampshire), Shoaib Bashir (Somerset), Pat Brown (Derbyshire), James Coles (Sussex), Sam Cook (Essex), Alex Davies (Warwickshire), Rocky Flintoff (Lancashire), Tom Hartley (Lancashire), Tom Lawes (Surrey), Freddie McCann (Nottinghamshire). Ben McKinney (Durham), James Rew (Somerset), Hamza Shaikh (Warwickshire), Mitch Stanley (Lancashire), Josh Tongue (Nottinghamshire), John Turner (Hampshire)