Dan Lawrence Leaves England Test Squad After Family Bereavement
Updated - 10 Aug 2020, 11:37 PM
Essex batsman Dan Lawrence has left England’s bio-secure bubble ahead of the second Test against Pakistan due to a family bereavement, the ECB announced on Monday,
The 23-year old, who is yet to make his debut in international cricket, has been with the England team as an official reserve throughout the ongoing season which also included the Test series against West Indies. He will not be available for selection for the second Test against Pakistan which starts on Thursday.
The hosts will not call up a replacement for Dan Lawrence for the game at The Ageas Bowl in Southampton.
“The England and Wales Cricket Board requests that the media respects Dan and his family’s request for privacy at this time,” read the statement from ECB.
Dan Lawrence impressed for England Lions in Australia last winter, scoring two tons and a fifty in three red-ball games including the impressive 125-run knock against Australia A at MCG as the Lions beat their opponents for the first time.
In first-class cricket, he has an average of just below 39 and has scored 10 tons. In 2015, he became the third-youngest batsman to score a century in County Championship when he scored 161 against Surrey as a 17-year old.
The home side will be also without their talismanic allrounder Ben Stokes for the remainder of the series. The allrounder has headed to New Zealand for family reasons.
England are currently leading the three-match series after winning the series-opener in Manchester by three wickets. Chasing 277, the hosts rode on fine fifties from Jos Buttler and Chris Woakes to recover from 117 for 5 and win the game. England will be looking to win the next game to register their first Test series win over Pakistan at home in three attempts. The last two series between the two sides in England ended in stalemate.
