Bears new boy heading Down Under after England Lions call

The 25-year-old seamer is part of an 18-man squad which will play four matches Down Under, including a three-day warm-up at Lilac Hill against the senior England men’s team ahead of the first Ashes Test.

Gilchrist, who will officially join the Bears from Kent in November on a three-year contract, has previously toured with England A to Sri Lanka.

Leicestershire’s Rehan Ahmed will captain this winter’s squad, which will play a four-day match at Lilac Hill against a Cricket Australia XI, a two-day day-night contest with a Prime Minister’s XI in Canberra, before taking on Australia A over four days in Brisbane.

Lions head coach Andrew Flintoff said: “There are some unbelievably talented players in this squad, and this is a fantastic opportunity for them to go to Australia, excel in the conditions, and thrive against quality players. 

“At the same time, these players will get a sense of what an away Ashes series is all about.”

Two of the Midlands’ most promising young players are heading to the Caribbean after being selected for England under-19s.

Worcestershire’s Isaac Mohammed, a regular in the U19s set-up, is part of an 17-player squad alongside Warwickshire seamer, Charlie Taylor.

The latter is one of the youngest members of the touring party, aged just 15.

Mohammed, meanwhile, made his professional debut for the Pears this summer after making the switch from Edgbaston to New Road mid-season.

The U19s will play five one-day matches against the West Indies and two against the USA as part of their preparations for next year’s World Cup. Nottinghamshire’s Farhan Ahmed will captain the side.

Head coach Michael Yardy said: “These will be important matches as we begin to fine-tune our plans for the U19s World Cup early next year. Both West Indies and the USA have qualified for that tournament and will provide a good test for our players.”