England have announced the playing XI for the third ODI against South Africa. The Harry Brook-led side made just one change to the playing XI, as Jamie Overton has made his return to the squad, replacing Saqib Mahmood.
England have announced their playing XI for the third and final ODI against South Africa at the Rose Bowl in Southampton. Ben Duckett, who has been rested for the T20I series against the Proteas, have been backed for the openerโs role in the third ODI. Notably, this will also be his final appearance for England in the summer.ย
Meanwhile, the Three Lions have made just one change from the squad that lost to South Africa by just five runs in the second ODI at Lordโs. Jamie Overton, who announced an indefinite break from red-ball cricket earlier in the week, has replaced Saqib Mahmood in the playing XI. Meanwhile, his inclusion signals that the all-rounder remains a key part of Englandโs white-ball future.
On the other hand, Duckett, along with Harry Brook and Jamie Smith, has played in all 14 of Englandโs home internationals this summer. However, a slump in form has seen him struggle for runs, with only one score above 20 in his last 10 innings across formats.ย
Trescothck reveals reason behind dropping Duckett from T20Is
The decision to rest him for the T20 series came after discussions with head coach Brendon McCullum, with the aim of ensuring he is fresh for a demanding winter schedule that includes the Ashes and the T20 World Cup. However, ahead of the final ODI, assistant coach Marcus Trescothick emphasised on the importance of workload management while talking about Duckett.
โBrendon spoke to him over the last few days, trying to get a gauge of where he’s at. You look at every situation individually and in its own way, looking at the volume of cricket they’ve played and by chatting with them to see how they’re feelingโฆ This is the best [decision] to maximise performances going forward as we head into a big winter,โ Trescothick said.
โWe need certain players to be firing, and Ben is certainly one of thoseโฆ We need the boys firing going into November, December, January. That’s an important time. It’s not to say things aren’t important coming up, but sometimes you just have to take your foot off the gas a bit and rejuvenate the mind. Then, you can get back on the horse and crack on,โ he added.
England XI for the third ODI vs South Africa:ย Jamie Smith, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Harry Brook (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Jacob Bethell, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid