LONDON, (Reuters) – Uncapped Derbyshire left-arm seamer Mark Footitt has been included in England’s 14-man squad for a four-day pre-Ashes training camp in Spain, the England and Wales cricket board said yesterday.
The 29-year-old has taken 32 wickets for his county in Division Two this season and was handed a place at the training camp, which begins on June 27, ahead of Yorkshire all-rounder Adil Rashid.
Incoming coach Trevor Bayliss, who was appointed in May following the dismissal of Peter Moores, will use the camp to get to know captain Alastair Cook and the players ahead of the first Ashes test against Australia starting on July 8.
“With Trevor Bayliss arriving in the country next Thursday, Trevor, Alastair and I felt it important that both players and management likely to be involved in the early stages of the Ashes have chance to meet him and fully understand his approach prior to meeting up for the start of the Test series,” director of England cricket Andrew Strauss said on the ECB website.
“With that in mind, we have arranged a preparation camp in Spain. This will involve a combination of physical and fielding sessions and planning meetings in an informal environment in order to provide the best possible lead up to the first test in Cardiff.
