Trio of Sussex cricketers earn call-ups for India trip

The call-up is a first one for spinner Vosloo, who will be joined by experienced England internationals Pyle and O'Brien.

The team will compete in a five-match IT20 series across the end of January and beginning of February.

The England Men’s Mixed Disability team will be travelling to India on their first overseas tour after a successful trial home series this summer.

Selectors have named a 15-strong squad, with four new faces added to the group who beat the same opposition 6-1 in the first-ever series of Mixed Disability international cricket earlier this year.

Callum Flynn will continue as captain, with Jonathan Gale, Alex Hammond, Tom Meskell and Vosloo called up for the first time in Mixed Disability Cricket.

For Meskell and Vosloo, it represents their inaugural international call-up. Should he feature in India, Vosloo will become the youngest player to play Mixed Disability international Cricket, at 16 years of age.

Squad: Callum Flynn (Lancashire, PD, captain); Angus Brown (Hampshire, PD); James Dixon (Lancashire, Deaf); Chris Edwards (Cheshire, LD); Mohammad Farooq (Middlesex, Deaf); Jonathan Gale (Surrey, LD); Alex Hammond (Hampshire, PD); Tom Meskell (Lancashire, LD); Liam O’Brien (Sussex, PD); Brendan Parr (Devon, PD); Josh Price (Surrey, Deaf); Alfie Pyle (Sussex, LD); Jake Vosloo (Sussex, PD); Henry Wainman (Yorkshire, Deaf); Jordan Williams (Lancashire, PD).

Head of Disability Cricket Ian Martin said: “We were hugely enthused by last summer’s trial series against India and it’s becoming increasingly clear that there is a global appetite for Mixed Disability cricket.

“We spoke when we launched last summer’s series about the challenges many international boards face in adequately and consistently supporting their disability teams and we firmly believe that Mixed Disability cricket will be a vehicle to drive the disability game forward. We are hearing a lot of encouraging noises from other Boards and we expect to be playing more Mixed Disability international series in the future.

“We’re delighted to be reciprocating India’s trip to the UK for our first overseas tour, and look forward to a competitive and entertaining series against a team who will no doubt provide a stern test. It’s great to see four new faces in the group and I’m sure they’ll all be doing everything they can to earn their place in the XI.”

Meanwhile five Sussex players have been selected in the inaugural Disability Premier League Draft, held at the National Cricket Performance Centre in Loughborough.

Liam O’Brien, Alfie Pyle and Owen Piper were all drafted to the Tridents, while Jake Vosloo will represent the Hawks and Elliot Brown has been selected by the Black Cats.