Bears ace named England under-19s captain for first India Test

The 19-year-old will lead the young side into the opening match of the series, which begins in Beckenham on Saturday.

His Bears team-mate Taz Ali has also been included in the squad, along with Worcestershire ace Jack Home.

Shaikh is returning to the U19s for the first time since skippering the team in last summer’s series against Sri Lanka.

The former Sandwell College student was not part of the squad which toured South Africa during the winter, after being instead selected for the England Lions.

Shaikh, who impressed while playing for the Lions last summer against the senior Sri Lanka and West Indies touring sides, played the first four County Championship matches of the season for Warwickshire.

But he has not featured since early May after scoring just 113 runs across eight innings, with his most recent action coming for the club’s second XI.

Fellow teenager Ali, who has previously played for Smethwick in the Birmingham League, has also found himself pushed down the pecking order after playing in the County Championship over the first month.

Home, who made his first-class debut for Worcestershire at the end of last season, played in the recent one-day series against the touring India side and has retained his place for the Test squad.

Rocky Flintoff and Archie Vaughan, sons of former England captains Andrew and Michael respectively, have also been named in the 15-man group.