Managing director of England cricket team Ashley Giles hinted that there could be some new faces in the team squad for the upcoming two-match Test series against New Zealand.
England is set to host New Zealand for the two-match Test series, starting 2nd June at Lord’s cricket ground followed by the second Test to be played at Edgbaston from 10th to 14th June.
The three lions are yet to name their squad for the two-Test series. However, with IPL 2021 getting postponed, all key English players including Chris Woakes, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Jonny Bairstow, and Moeen Ali, who are serving quarantine periods, are available for selection.
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Talking to ESPNCricinfo, Managing Director of England cricket team Ashley Giles said that with the amount of cricket along with Ashes coming ahead and with no clue of conditions during COVID environment they are going to need a bigger group of players and they may choose some new faces against New Zealand.
"What we do know and what's not going to change is that given the weight of cricket, given the Ashes series, and we don't know what conditions that's going to be played in with regard to a Covid environment, we are going to need a bigger group of players. We may also choose against New Zealand to look at some new faces," Ashley Giles told ESPNCricinfo.
Giles said that with the amount of cricket coming for England they have to manage the workload of the players. He added that coach Chris Silverwood would work with the medical team on what is best for players’ progress.
"All these guys are currently in quarantine and have had a number of spells in quarantine and bubbles in this last period. Some of it's their choice, I get that. We need to look after them, with the amount of cricket they've got coming up.
“We're not going to rush or force them back into cricket. Chris Silverwood will work with each and every one of them, as will our medical teams on what's best for their progress," he said.
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Giles further while citing the example of Chris Woakes, who bowls more overs with the red ball before he is up to his speed, said that they have got plenty of cricket coming up so they also need to manage the workload of the players.
"On the matter of playing cricket, they are all different. We know historically that Chris Woakes, for example, likes to get more overs under his belt with the red ball before he's up to speed. Others react differently to that, so it's a case-by-case basis. We have got an awful lot of cricket coming up," he concluded.
After the two-Test series against New Zealand, England is also slated to lock horns against India in a five-match Test series, beginning this August.
(ESPNCricinfo inputs)
