England's BBL contingent will not be released from South Africa tour early

Tom Banton has been selected as a reserve while Lewis Gregory, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Tom Curran, Jason Roy are also included

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England are not planning to release their peripheral players from the South Africa tour in order to play in the Big Bash League.

Six of the touring party to face The Proteas have contracts in Australia's premier T20 competition, which begins on December 3 and runs until February 6.

After touching down in South Africa later this month, England face the hosts in T20s on November 27, 29 and December 1, and then a trio of one-day internationals on December 4, 6 and 9.

Arrivals in Australia will be forced to quarantine for 14 days, due to Covid-19 restrictions, before joining up with their respective sides.

Tom Banton, Lewis Gregory, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Tom Curran and Jason Roy each have agreed to play the tournament but their availability is set to be limited.

Malan will be the first to depart given he has not been selected for the ODIs. Roy and Curran will be expected to have a central role across both series but Gregory, Livingstone and Banton are peripheral members of the squad.

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Indeed, Banton has only been chosen as a reserve across both formats yet he will not be given special dispensation to link up with Brisbane Heat for his second BBL campaign before the South Africa tour has ended.

"Tom is a young player and at this stage of his career it is good for him to be around the group to make a case to get into the white-ball side and challenge in particular for that T20 World Cup around the corner," said national selector Ed Smith.

"There are times when if we feel someone is very distant from playing we might take the decision to leave them to play other cricket. In this instance, with those three (Banton, Gregory, Livingstone) we feel it is right to be with England."

One player described as being somewhat distant as far as selection is concerned is Saqib Mahmood, who was a reserve for the Australia ODIs after playing six times against Ireland and Pakistan earlier in the summer.

Smith said the 23-year-old was omitted from the South Africa trip specifically so he could get some regular cricket elsewhere this winter.

"In terms of pecking order he would be a reserve for this tour to South Africa and he hasn't slipped at all," he explained. "We're excited about his future but we've decided not to take him on the tour as a reserve when he's been a reserve for a period of the summer."