Durham all-rounder Keaton Jennings has been rewarded for an outstanding season with a place in an 18-man England Lions training camp.
The left-hander’s sensational form in 2016 has been rewarded with a spot in the the touring party, led by Andy Flower, to be based at the ICC Academy in Dubai.
It starts with a training camp at the National Cricket Performance Centre in Loughborough before departing for a three-week camp, where they play three 50-over matches against the United Arab Emirates and a three-day fixture against Afghanistan.
Jennings is the County Championship’s leading run-scorer in 2016 with 1,522 runs and needs 79 more from the final match at Hampshire to eclipse Durham’s first-class run record in a single season.
He also struck a career-best 88 in the NatWest T20 Blast final and cemented his status as a key member of the future by signing a new four-year deal.
Jennings will be joined by Josh Coughlin later in the tour, with the 18-year-old selected as part of the Young Lions.
The Young Lions will take part in a three-week training camp in Dubai during December as a precursor to the under-19 tour of India in the New Year.
Also included in a coaching capacity are Durham’s Paul Collingwood and 2nd XI coach Neil Killeen, who will support the work of the Lions coaches.
And Josh’s elder brother, Paul, is one of five bowlers selected to take part in England’s Pace Programme.
He will work both at Durham and Loughborough during the winter before travelling to the High Performance Institute of Sport in Potchefstroom, South Africa for two weeks of warm weather training in the New Year.
This programme aims to reinforce the physical and technical foundations required for international fast bowling.
All of the steps form part of the International Pathway, with the main goal of bridging the gap between domestic and international cricket, while preparing the players for international game.