Durham all-rounder Ben Stokes has been included in the England 14-man squad for the two match NatWest International T20 series against New Zealand at the Kia Oval. The two match series begins on Tuesday 25 June with the second game taking place on Thursday 27 June.
Eoin Morgan will captain a side that includes two players who are yet to play for England in any format, Yorkshire batsman Gary Ballance and Warwickshire pace bowler Boyd Rankin. Kevin Pietersen, who has been unavailable for England since March due to a knee injury, will join the squad for the second match provided he successfully completes an LV= County Championship game for Surrey beginning on Friday 21 June.
National Selector, Geoff Miller, said: “We have selected a squad with plenty of T20 experience as well as young players new to the international game. With an intense period of cricket coming up we are conscious that we need to manage the workloads of our players throughout the summer and this NatWest series gives an opportunity for players who have performed well in domestic cricket and on the England Performance Programme and with the Lions to step up and test themselves in an international environment. New Zealand are a talented limited overs side and with a World T20 competition less than a year away this series gives us a chance to look at a number of different options.”
England T20 squad
Eoin Morgan (Middlesex) (Capt)
Gary Ballance (Yorkshire)
Ravi Bopara (Essex)
Danny Briggs (Hampshire)
Jos Buttler (Somerset)
Jade Dernbach (Surrey)
Alex Hales (Nottinghamshire)
Michael Lumb (Nottinghamshire)
Kevin Pietersen (Surrey)*
Boyd Rankin (Warwickshire)
Ben Stokes (Durham)
James Tredwell (Kent)
Chris Woakes (Warwickshire)
Luke Wright (Sussex)
*Pietersen will be available for match on 27 June only
NatWest International T20 Series vs New Zealand
25 June Kia Oval 18.30
27 June Kia Oval 18.30