Rob Key, England's managing director of men's cricket, has opened the door to a potentially sensational selection ahead of the 2025/26 Ashes – that of Dan Worrall, Surrey's 33-year-old seamer who has previously played international cricket for Australia but qualifies for England in early 2025.
Worrall represented Australia in three ODIs – all in 2016 – but has long been a standout seamer in the English domestic game. Worrall holds a UK passport and has represented Surrey as a local player since 2022 having previously played for Gloucestershire as an overseas. It is understood that Worrall qualifies for England selection from April 2025.
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The right-arm seamer has been a key figure in Surrey's recent success in first-class cricket. Last week, Rory Burns' side secured their third consecutive County Championship title, becoming the first side to achieve the feat in more than half a century. Worrall has been immense for Surrey not just in 2024, but ever since he made the move to south London.
This year, Worrall has been among the leading wicket-takers in the country having taken 52 wickets at 16.15 in Division One. Overall, Worrall has taken 139 first-class wickets at 21.17 for Surrey. Since 1990, Waqar Younis and Morne Morkel are the only Surrey seamers to have taken more than 100 first-class wickets for the county at a better average than Worrall.
Key: "You can't not notice Dan Worrall"
Speaking to the Daily Mail days before the end of the 2024 English season, Key left the door open to the tantalising prospect of Worrall representing England against the country of his birth in the 2025/26 Ashes.
"You can’t not notice Dan Worrall," said Key. "He just looks like a very good bowler. He’s highly skilled, and he looks like someone who is completely in control of his game. He is probably one of the best bowlers in the country playing domestic cricket.
"He probably could make the jump. He’s got brilliant attributes to be an international bowler. It won’t be the case that we won’t pick him because he’s grown up in another country. England have had a lot of success picking people who have grown up abroad."
Stylistically, Chris Woakes is the current England bowler whose profile is closest to Worrall. The former Gloucestershire quick generally operates in the low-to-mid 80s mph but his most noticeable attribute is his ability to move the ball through the air not only with precision but throughout an innings. Ironically given his background in Australia, he is arguably better suited to English conditions with a Dukes ball in hand.
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