Chopra set to make England Lions debut

By Paul Bolton, County News Correspondent

Warwickshire batsman Varun Chopra is in line to make his England Lions debut against Australia A on his home ground next Tuesday (August 14).

Chopra, 25, has been called into the Lions squad for the second of two four-day matches against the tourists because Somerset batsman Nick Compton has been ruled out with back spasms which he suffered in the drawn first match at Old Trafford.

He was informed of his call up by national selector Geoff Miller at the conclusion of Warwickshire’s LV= County Championship victory over Worcestershire at Edgbaston.

Chopra scored 1,000 runs last season, including two double centuries and continued that prolific form during the winter with Tamil Union in Sri Lanka’s domestic first-class competition. He was also in Sri Lanka with the England Performance Programme, which was an indication that the former England Under-19 captain was on the radar of the national selectors.

Like most batsmen Chopra has struggled for momentum in a wet summer but he has topped 600 first-class runs for Warwickshire and played an important part in setting up the win over Worcestershire while the England selectors were meeting in a sponsors’ box at Edgbaston.

Durham all rounder Ben Stokes has also been added to the England Lions squad at Edgbaston next week because Ravi Bopara is still missing for personal reasons.

Bopara withdrew from the second Test against South Africa at Headingley but was due to play for the Lions at Old Trafford until he withdrew shortly before a rain-delayed start.
   


Date: 11/08/2012 08:31:00 by Paul Bolton
In: Warwickshire | Today | England |