England are about to undergo at least a partial white-ball reset, with a new coach set to take over soon. Here's a T20 XI of players aged below 25 who could play a part in England's white-ball future.
Matthew Hurst
Hurst, now 20, only made his professional debut last year, but has caught the eye in this year's Hundred for Manchester Originals. He hit 78 off 45 balls opening the batting with Phil Salt against Northern Superchargers, following up with 50 off 29 in the next game, against Oval Invincibles. He also made his maiden first-class century this year, completing his emergence onto the professional stage, and normally keeps wicket. He is one of three potential keepers in this side.
Jordan Cox
Cox has been on England's radar for several years: he was previously included in their T20I squad which toured Pakistan, and has been called up to their latest Test squad to face Sri Lanka later this month, as a reserve batter. An explosive top-order batter more normally slotted in at No.4, he has opened for various franchises in the past, and can also take the gloves as a competent wicketkeeper. It's only a matter of time before he makes his international debut.
Jamie Smith (wk)
Having already made his Test debut, impressing against the West Indies, Smith has also played two ODIs for England, against Ireland last year when much of their first-choice squad was headed out to the World Cup. At only 24, Smith has already played 80 T20 games, batting between Nos.3 and 5 and striking at 137. He has also scored seven half-centuries in that time, and recently scored 45 off 22 balls in the T20 Blast against Sussex.
James Coles
Coles is one of a number of 2022 U19 World Cup graduates in this squad. A batting all-rounder, he bowls left-arm orthodox spin, recently taking consecutive four-wicket-hauls for Sussex in the T20 Blast. In the first of those against Hampshire, he also top-scored with 46 off 33 balls batting at four. Since making his professional debut as a 16-year-old, he's continued to impress with three first-class hundreds to date and two T20 half-centuries.
Dan Mousley
Mousley grabbed the headlines earlier this month when he bowled a stunning spell to clinch Birmingham Phoenix victory against Trent Rockets. Given the ball with Rockets needing 10 from 10, the youngster took three wickets and conceded only three from the final 10. As a genuine all-rounder, he's been tipped for an England debut sooner rather than later, with eight T20 fifties in his career to date.
Jacob Bethell
Bethell follows Mousley as a young double-act from Warwickshire. He's impressed with back-to-back scores in excess of forty in The Hundred this year, hitting 46 off 29 balls against Trent Rockets. Born and raised in Barbados, he has a British passport and moved to the UK as a teenager. He hit a 15-ball 50 in the T20 Blast this year, and an unbeaten 70 against Worcestershire.
Luke Hollman
A leg-spinning all-rounder, Hollman was the youngest member of the England U19 World Cup squad in 2018, alongside the likes of Harry Brook and Will Jacks, when he was just 17. Although he's struggled to make a breakthrough into the top tier on the county circuit, he's by far Middlesex's leading wicket-taker in the T20 Blast this year, having taken 23 wickets at an average of 12.56 including a five-wicket-haul.
Blake Cullen
Cullen is another exciting young Middlesex bowler, a seamer who swings the ball both ways. He was picked up by London Spirit in the 2021 Hundred and finished as the third-highest wicket-taker in the T20 Blast that year. He was retained in The Hundred for 2022, although he had to pull out of the tournament with an injury.
Curious about the five teenagers selected in the England Lions squad for the tour game against Sri Lanka? 🤔
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) August 9, 2024
Read more about them here ➡️ https://t.co/mE06ay5qTF pic.twitter.com/ulGHPZg3YK
Ajeet Singh Dale
Although more of a red ball prospect, having been named in the England Lions squad to take on Sri Lanka in a four-day game later this month, Dale has also made an impact in the white-ball format. He took a career-best 4-15 against Sussex in the One Day Cup this year, and has turned out in the T20 Blast as well. He forms part of a four-man pace attack in this side.
John Turner
Turner has been included in two England squads so far, after bursting onto the scene last year as an express pace bowler for Hampshire, and was awarded an England pace-bowling contract. His career has been blighted by injuries so far and he's spent much of the last 12 months on the sidelines. However, he made a stunning return in this year's T20 Blast, taking back-to-back four-fors against Essex and Lancashire before joining up with the Trent Rockets in The Hundred. He didn't have as good luck there, and was taken out of the attack after just two balls for bowling consecutive beamers.
Josh Hull
Yet to turn 20, Hull is the youngest player in this XI. Name-checked by Rob Key as one England are watching for the future, it's not hard to see why they're keen on him. A 6ft 7in left-armer, he was picked up in The Hundred this year as a wildcard following an impressive run for Leicestershire in their title-winning run last year in the T20 Blast, form which he followed into this year. While still young, England may want to wait a time before selecting him for senior debut, and he was expensive in the two Hundred matches he's played so far this season.
Follow Wisden for all cricket updates, including live scores, match stats, quizzes and more. Stay up to date with the latest cricket news, player updates, team standings, match highlights, video analysis and live match odds.