BOLTONIAN Matt Parkinson has been handed his first call-up for England for the upcoming tour of New Zealand.
The 22-year-old Heaton leg-spinner, who bowled out twin brother Callum today in the first innings of Lancashire’s final County Championship Division Two clash against Leicestershire, is joined in the tour party by fellow Lancashire youngster Saqib Mahmood and the pair are included in both the Test and T20 squads.
A Red Rose trio is completed by Jos Buttler who will keep wicket in the Test side after Jonny Bairstow was omitted from that squad. James Anderson remains ruled out with a calf injury.
Jason Roy’s indifferent Ashes series has also cost him his Test spot as four players, Parkinson, Mahmood, Warwickshire opener Dominic Sibley and Kent batsman Zak Crawley, make the cut.
National selector Ed Smith confirmed Bairstow had been dropped rather than rested.
Smith said on Sky Sports: “Jonny’s not rested, he drops out of the Test team, but it’s an opportunity for him after a very busy summer to reset, to work on one or two things and to come back stronger.”
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