London, Aug 12 (IANS) England opening batter Emilio Gay has been named in a 14-player Professional County Club (PCC) Select XI squad for a three-day warm-up fixture against the touring Pakistan side, starting at Beckenham on Thursday. It is followed by matches between the two teams at Lord’s (August 27-31) and Edgbaston (September 9-13) respectively.
Left-handed batter Gay, 26, suffered an injury scare after retiring hurt with a shoulder issue while batting for Durham in their One-Day Cup match against Middlesex. Gay felt discomfort in his right shoulder after hitting Toby Roland-Jones for four past mid-on, and immediately clutched the joint before signalling for the physio.
Despite undergoing a scan, Gay is expected to prove his fitness during the Beckenham encounter ahead of England’s three-match Test series against Pakistan, which is a part of the World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, where the hosts are seventh in the standings and the visitors in eighth spot.
Sussex all-rounder Tom Haines will captain the PCC Select XI, with former England international Mike Yardy stepping in as head coach. The squad features an exciting mix of young talent alongside international players, including Test players Shoaib Bashir, Matt Fisher, and James Rew, all eager to impress.
Gay, who made his Test debut earlier this summer, has been included in England’s 16-man Test squad, which notably features no specialist opening cover. Returning batter Ollie Pope remains the spare option, while Jordan Cox is set to replace the injured Jacob Bethell at number three, with Dan Lawrence recalled to bat at number six.
PCC Select XI squad: Tom Haines (Captain), Shoaib Bashir, Luc Benkenstein, Caleb Falconer, Matt Fisher, Emilio Gay, Nathan Gilchrist, Josh Hull, Manny Lumsden, James Rew, James Sales, Charlie Tear, Noah Thain, Saif Zaib.
–IANS
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