Former England cricketer Nasser Hussain supports Dan Lawrence for inclusion in the England squad for the Test against New Zealand at The Oval, citing his impressive performances in county Cricket. Lawrence recently scored a total of 318 runs in two innings during a drawn match for Surrey against Hampshire.
The 27-year-old has played 14 Tests as an opener, scoring 101 off 64 balls in the first innings followed by a strong 218 from 190 balls in county play. He currently has an average of 78 in the County Championship and leads in runs for Division One.
“I would select Dan Lawrence, not just due to his two hundreds this week. Earlier in the season during a County Championship game, he showed he was getting into good positions after a slow start with a few loose shots,” Hussain remarked on Sky Sports.
“He has been outstanding since then and provides some off-spin bowling as well. That’s the role he plays at Surrey. He’s batting in the middle order where he belongs, and I would have chosen him even before this championship match, especially for The Oval,” he added.
England has confirmed their squad for the second Test against New Zealand, starting on June 17. Regular captain Ben Stokes and fast bowler Gus Atkinson are unavailable for selection. Joe Root will serve as interim captain, aiming to win the series with a victory in this match.
England Test Squad for the second Test vs New Zealand:
Joe Root (C), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Sonny Baker, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Jordan Cox, Ben Duckett, Matthew Fisher, Emilio Gay, James Rew, Ollie Robinson, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue