Daniel Bell-Drummond and Sam Billings in England Lions squad

Kent duo Daniel Bell-Drummond and Sam Billings have been selected in the England Lions squad this winter.

Former England Under-19 opener Bell-Drummond, 22, scored more than 1,400 runs in all formats this summer including six half-centuries in limited-overs cricket and three first-class centuries including 127 against the touring Australians in June.

Billings, 24, made his full England ODI debut this summer after taking part in the EPP last winter.

Both players were awarded county caps 211 and 212 this summer after becoming mainstays in the side in all formats.

Bell-Drummond will be among 12 players to attend the EPP batting and spin camp in Dubai and a six-strong group of fast bowlers will travel to Potchefstroom, South Africa under the guidance of fast bowling coach Kevin Shine.

Hampshire’s James Vince, who was yesterday named in England’s T20 squad to take on Pakistan this autumn, will captain the Lions team in a five-match Twenty20 series against Pakistan ‘A’ in the UAE in December.

Vince will lead a strong Lions squad which includes five players with international experience; Billings, Chris Jordan, Stephen Parry, Reece Topley and David Willey – plus Surrey all-rounder Zafar Ansari, who was named in England’s Test squad for the tour to UAE yesterday.

Led by Andy Flower, the EPP winter programme will see all 18 players undertake a four-day training camp at the National Cricket Performance Centre (NCPC) in Loughborough in early November – before the squad divides into two specialist groups.

The two groups will then re-unite in the UAE in the last week of November for further training and match practice ahead of the England Lions T20 series against Pakistan ‘A’, which gets underway on Monday 7 December.

Worcestershire director of cricket Steve Rhodes, will work with the Lions this winter in an assistant coach capacity, alongside head coach Andy Flower.

National Selector James Whitaker said: “Congratulations to all of the players selected for the England Performance Programme and England Lions this winter.

"It is hugely important that we have a reserve of players who are ready to perform on the international stage when they get the opportunity and the EPP and the England Lions play a vital role in identifying and developing the next generation of England cricketers.

“With the 2016 ICC World Twenty20 in India just six months away, the five-match T20 series for the Lions against Pakistan ‘A’ will form a particularly important part of our preparations for the tournament, ensuring that we can draw on a wider group of players who have recent experience of playing T20 cricket in sub-continental conditions.“

England Lions will return to Dubai to play a five-match one-day series against Pakistan ‘A’ in January 2016. The itinerary and squad for this tour will be announced in due course.

ENGLAND PERFORMANCE PROGRAMME 2015-2016

Batting and spin camp in Dubai, 11th November – 1st December:

Zafar Ansari(Surrey), Danny Briggs(Hampshire), Joe Clarke(Worcestershire)Daniel Bell-Drummond (Kent),Ben Foakes(Surrey), Lewis Gregory(Somerset), Chris Jordan(Sussex), Dawid Malan(Middlesex), Stephen Parry(Lancashire), Tom Westley(Essex), Ross Whiteley(Worcestershire), James Vince(Hampshire).

Fast bowlers camp in Potchefstroom, South Africa (11 – 23 November) and Dubai (24 November – 1 December):

Jake Ball(Nottinghamshire), Craig Miles(Gloucestershire), Tymal Mills(Sussex), Craig Overton (Somerset), Jamie Overton(Somerset), Olly Stone(Northamptonshire).

England Lions v Pakistan ‘A’ Twenty20 squad, Dubai (1– 17 December):

Zafar Ansari(Surrey), Jake Ball(Nottinghamshire),Sam Billings(Kent),Joe Clarke(Worcestershire),Daniel Bell-Drummond(Kent),Ben Foakes(Surrey), Lewis Gregory(Somerset), Chris Jordan(Sussex), Dawid Malan(Middlesex), Tymal Mills(Sussex), Stephen Parry(Lancashire), Reece Topley(Essex), Tom Westley(Essex), David Willey(Northamptonshire), Ross Whiteley(Worcestershire), James Vince (captain, Hampshire).

Itinerary

4.12.15:T20 warm upTBC

7.12.15:1st T20Pakistan “A”

10.12.15:2nd T20Pakistan “A”

11.12.15:3rd T20Pakistan “A”

13.12.15:4th T20Pakistan “A”

16.12.15:5th T20Pakistan “A”