Eighteen-year-old Thomas Rew has earned his maiden international call-up for England's white-ball winter tour to Australia.
The Somerset wicketkeeper-batter has been selected in England's T20I squad to face Australia next month, with Jos Buttler missing the series after undergoing hamstring surgery. His selection comes the day after he was handed his maiden ECB contract, as one of nine players given development deals.
England ODI squad vs Australia: Harry Brook (c), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Sonny Baker, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jordan Cox, Henry Crocombe, Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Josh Tongue.
England T20I squad vs Australia: Harry Brook (c), Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, James Coles, Jordan Cox, Henry Crocombe, Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Aneurin Donald, Eddie Jack, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Thomas Rew, Phil Salt, Luke Wood.
Along with Rew, fast-bowler Eddie Jack has also received his maiden international call-up, while Jacob Bethell and Phil Salt are both back in the sides after injury lay-offs during the summer. Quicks Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Sonny Baker and Josh Tongue have all been rested from the T20I series.
Rew has risen through the ranks to international cricket quickly, having been selected for the England Lions tour of Australia last year. As part of that tour, he was picked for the Lions side who played the senior team in their only Ashes warm-up match. He made a half-century in the first innings of that game.
Following that series, Rew was signed by Paarl Royals for the SA20, but did not play a game. He captained England U19s in their World Cup campaign earlier this year, and scored a century in the semi-final against Australia. He was unavailable for selection for Somerset during the first part of the county season, as he completed his school exams.
However, when he was available again in June, he continued his rapid rise with an unbeaten century in his second County Championship appearance. He put on 127 off 151, including a 58-run partnership with his older brother James. He scored a second century in his following Championship appearance, but did not play again in Somerset's Championship campaign for the rest of the season.
The older Rew also rose quickly to international contention, after becoming the youngest English player to score 10 first-class hundreds since Denis Compton. Rew made his Test match debut this summer, covering for Jamie Smith when he went on paternity leave, at The Oval. However, it was a difficult outing, with Rew scoring 24 and 15 with the bat and making several errors behind the stumps.
James hasn't been included in an England squad since, and Thomas's inclusion shows that the younger brother has now overtaken the older brother in the international selection pecking order.
England will begin their T20I series in Australia on November 21, after completing a three-match ODI series.
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