Hampshire trio selected for World T20
Liam Dawson has revealed his selection for England's World T20 squad is a dream come true.
The Hampshire all-rounder was yesterday named in the 15-man squad for the tournament in India, which begins next month.
Dawson, 25, has been selected alongside his Ageas Bowl team-mates Reece Topley and James Vince.
However, it is the left-arm spinner’s elevation which has capped a remarkable turnaround in fortunes.
After some indifferent form at the start of last summer, he was sent out on loan by Hampshire.
A fruitful spell at Essex followed before he returned to impress at the Ageas Bowl towards the end of the campaign.
He was a late call-up to the Lions squad which took on Pakistan A in the UAE this winter.
But starred in limited overs fixtures and finished the latest tour as the leading wicket-taker.
Dawson said: ‘I’m very excited. It’s been quite a quick turnaround from when I went to Essex on loan.
‘The last six months has gone extremely well for me.
‘In the back of my mind I thought I had an outside chance but thankfully I’ve been selected and I’m really looking to seeing what a World T20 is all about.
‘If you’re in a squad you should be prepared to play at any moment.
‘So it’s an exciting time for me and it’s going to be an amazing experience.
‘It’s something you dream of from a young age so to actually get there is a real honour.’
Vince skippered the Lions this winter and, alongside new Hampshire signing Topley, he has been a feature of England’s twenty20 set-up in recent times.
Hampshire director of cricket Giles White said: ‘We are delighted and very proud of the lads.
‘They have done extremely well over the winter.
‘It’s a credit to how Dawson has played that he’s been picked.
‘He’s always been a fantastic short-form bowler and hopefully he gets an opportunity out there.’
ENGLAND: Eoin Morgan (captain), Moeen Ali, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Liam Dawson, Steven Finn, Alex Hales, Chris Jordan, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, Reece Topley, James Vince, David Willey