England hand uncapped Donald and Crocombe white-ball call-ups for Sri Lanka series

England Back Their Bets: Two Uncapped Names Get Whiteball Shot Before SL Tour

Harry Brook's side is shaking up the squad depth, and the smart money's already on these two. England have named Aneurin Donald (bat) and Henry Crocombe (seamer) — both uncapped — into their whiteball set-ups for Sri Lanka's tour (Sept 15-27). Three ODIs, three T20Is. This is the early innings of World Cup 2027 prep, so watch who's getting minutes.

The Data Behind the Picks

Selector Marcus North didn't pull these from thin air. Donald's had a monster summer — Derbyshire in the Blast, Trent Rockets in The Hundred. Crocombe's been steadily ticking along all season, which is what earned him the ODI spot. Two different skill sets, two different squads, one clear thesis: form beats reputation right now.

Where They Fit

- Donald lands in the 16-man T20 squad alongside Archer, Rashid, Duckett, Atkinson, Mahmood and Dawson. That's a settled core — so his job is to win a spot, not just be there. Competition will be fierce.

- Crocombe slots into the ODI XI mix with Root, Rehan Ahmed and Overton returning. More runway here, deeper question marks around his red-ball pedigree.

The Bottom Line

Brook captains both squads, Buttler in each. England are clearly casting a wide net to find whiteball depth before the 2027 WC (SA/Zim/Namibia co-hosts). If Donald and Crocombe convert these callups into caps, we've got two new names to track. I'll be watching their SR and Econ figures closely — that's where the real value is.

Who's your pick to crack the starting XI first? Let's argue in the comments.

Source: Crictracker