England Test captain Ben Stokes will join the England Lions coaching staff for their upcoming tour to the United Arab Emirates next month. Currently recovering from an adductor injury sustained during the fifth Ashes Test in Australia, Stokes will combine his rehabilitation with coaching duties under Andrew Flintoff’s leadership.
Stokes will assist the Lions during a white-ball series featuring T20 and 50-over matches against Pakistan Shaheens. The tour marks an important development opportunity for emerging players and the coaching team alike.
The coaching lineup includes familiar names such as Neil McKenzie, Sarah Taylor, Neil Killeen, Amar Rashid, and Moeen Ali, who joins as a coach for the first time. Additionally, Troy Cooley resumes his involvement on his first tour since returning to the England and Wales Cricket Board as the men’s elite national pace bowling lead.
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Jordan Cox and Dan Mousley will captain the T20 and 50-over squads respectively, guiding a blend of proven and emerging talent. ECB men’s performance director Ed Barney emphasized the importance of these fixtures as part of the pathway to the 2027 ICC Men’s World Cup in South Africa.
The Lions will contest three T20 matches and five 50-over games, marking their first overseas white-ball series since 2022’s tour of Sri Lanka. Somerset players Will Smeed and James Rew have been selected for the T20 and 50-over squads, reflecting the team’s balanced mix of youth and experience.
Lions T20 Squad: J Cox (Essex, captain), S Baker (Hampshire), L Benkenstein (Essex), J Coles (Sussex), S Cook (Essex), S Currie (Hampshire), C Harrison (Northamptonshire), E Jack (Hampshire), S Mahmood (Lancashire), B McKinney (Durham), T Moores (Nottinghamshire), D Mousley (Warwickshire), M Revis (Yorkshire), W Smeed (Somerset), N Sowter (Durham), M Stanley (Lancashire), A Tribe (Glamorgan).
Lions 50-over Squad: D Mousley (Warwickshire, captain), S Baker (Hampshire), L Benkenstein (Essex), S Cook (Essex), J Coles (Sussex), S Currie (Hampshire), C Harrison (Northamptonshire), E Jack (Hampshire), B McKinney (Durham), L Patterson-White (Nottinghamshire), M Potts (Durham), M Revis (Yorkshire), J Rew (Somerset), M Stanley (Lancashire), A Tribe (Glamorgan), J Wharton (Yorkshire).