Rocky Flintoff, Shoaib Bashir and more – the England Lions to watch in Australia

Freddie Flintoff is leading the England Lions on a tour to Australia with the first warm-up match underway in Brisbane.
The former England cricketer’s 16-strong team of emerging talent will play a four-day unofficial Test at Cricket Central in Sydney ahead of the 2025 Ashes tour.
He’s picked a touring squad that includes proven Test players looking to gain experience in conditions down under and several untried players with much to prove.
Despite a seven wicket defeat in the first warm up match, the recently formed side will use every opportunity they can to adapt to the faster pitches.
The young Lions have another four-day match, again in Brisbane, on the 22nd of January as they look to impress and make an impact in overseas conditions.
With the Lions feeding into the England Men’s Test side, the tour against a Cricket Australia XI, featuring some star names, is a chance for the youthful side to stake their claims for England’s five-match series against India this summer.
Who are the players to look out for in the England Lions tour of Australia?
Shoaib Bashir
Perhaps the most experienced member of the touring squad, Bashir has been selected in the squad to gain experience in Australian conditions with the Somerset man now England’s first-choice spinner.
The off-spinner is no stranger to conditions down under following his stint playing shires cricket for Lindfield Cricket Club in 2022 which helped him land his first professional contract in England.
Upon his return from the Sydney suburb, Bashir was awarded a county cricket contract before his fast-tracked England debut on which he’s never looked back – Brendon McCullum will hope he leads from the front for the Lions.
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James Rew
The excitement for Somerset’s young wicketkeeper has been palpable with the 21-year-old prolific with both the bat and gloves in all three formats.
Since his first-class debut in 2021, Rew has already racked up eight centuries and taken just 11 matches to reach 1000 first-class runs at an average of 64.62 and a high score of 221.
Rew was selected for England U19s for the 2022 Cricket World Cup in the West Indies and will be intent on continuing his rapid rise through England’s ranks through the rest of the tour.
England have had their eyes on the young gun for a long time.
Rocky Flintoff
A surprise inclusion in the squad but no doubt that the sky is the limit for Rocky Flintoff as he was selected in his father’s Lions squad.
At just 16 years old, Rocky has played only four first-class matches but his similarity in stature and style to that of Freddie Flintoff who is one of England’s all-time greats is cause to get excited.
Despite struggling in his first four matches for Lancashire, glimpses of Flintoff’s stroke-making, his young age and previous inclusions in England age group sides suggest a big performance is never far away for the young man.
It’s evident that Flintoff has always punched above his weight, playing up and his inclusion highlights the absolute confidence the selectors have in his quality.
Sonny Baker
Having been picked up by three different franchises in The Hundred, it’s not hard to see how highly regarded the 21-year-old paceman is in England.
His express pace and booming in-swinging deliveries have made him an exciting prospect despite having not made a first-class debut.
Baker will lineup for Hampshire in the 2025 County Championship season having made the switch from Somerset at the end of the 2024 season.
Inspired by the express pace and excitement of Mark Wood, Baker bowled a 92.4mph delivery for Hampshire in the Global Summer League – his brunt will no doubt excite selectors in Australian conditions.
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