England have named uncapped fast bowler John Turner in their T20I squad for the series against New Zealand. Here’s all you need to know about the 22-year-old fast-bowling sensation from Hampshire.
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England will play four T20Is against New Zealand starting on August 30. They have announced their squad for the series today (August 16), in which they have included three quicks who are currently uncapped at the T20I level. One of them is Turner, a 22-year-old South Africa-born right-arm seamer who has impressed in his short domestic career in England so far.
Turner was selected as one of the two wildcard picks by defending champions Trent Rockets in the Hundred this season, after a breakthrough performance in the T20 Blast this year. From 11 matches, Turner took 21 wickets at an astonishing average and economy rate of 11.76 and 6.67 respectively in the T20 competition. No other bowler who took more than 10 wickets in the tournament had a better average than Turner’s.
Known for generating extra bounce compared to other fast bowlers and being able to reach speeds above 90mph, Turner started his professional career in England with the wicket of Alastair Cook in the very first over on his One-Day Cup debut for Hampshire in 2021.
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Dale Benkenstein, the current Gloucestershire coach, likens his bowling to that of Glenn McGrath. Benkenstein was the head of cricket at the Hilton College in South Africa when he first spotted Turner. In a recent interview with BBC Sport, he spoke of Turner’s qualities.
“It (Turner’s action) was very high, and a wrist which helped him push the ball in a little bit,” he said. “There were a lot of fundamentals there which I think any coach would have liked. He reminds me of Glenn McGrath. He is not as tall but he has that repeatable action. I didn’t see him as an out-an-out quick bowler but he bowls at a good pace.
“From what I have seen, and the reports back from our own batters at Gloucestershire, he is up there. He has the ability to bowl quick, high 80s, but not miss the right lines and lengths.”
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Turner has played three first-class matches, 15 List A games, and 12 T20s so far. In every format, he averages less than 20: 10.50 in first-class, 19.59 in List A, and 12.22 in T20s.
So far, Turner has shown that he not only has a knack for taking regular but also important wickets. In the T20 Blast, 11 of his 21 wickets were of the top three batters. He has also shown versatility and ability to bowl in all phases of the innings. 10 of his Blast wickets came in the powerplay, while five came at the death, where he conceded runs at 7.40 runs per over.
Born in Johannesburg, Turner only recently qualified to play international cricket for England. Given what he brings to the table, the England selectors have not wasted any time in getting him on board.
His breakthrough might have come in the T20 format, but Benkenstein believes that Turner has it in him to crack all formats: “He’s done well in white-ball cricket but he looks a Test bowler to me.”
According to Michael Booth, South African all-rounder and Turner’s new-ball partner from his days at the Hilton College, Turner has always looked up to Stuart Broad and has aspired to be like him.
Like Broad, Turner is about to commence his international cricket journey in T20s. But, with a World Cup in less than two months and three travelling reserve cards on the table, a big impression could be enough for him to make the transition to the fifty-over format.
