England all-rounder Jamie Overton has ruled himself out of contention for the upcoming Ashes series in Australia, placing his red-ball career on hold and focusing exclusively on white-ball opportunities.
“After a great deal of thought I have decided to take an indefinite break from red-ball cricket,” the Surrey paceman posted on social media.
“At this stage of my career, with the demands of cricket across a 12-month calendar, it’s no longer possible to commit fully to all formats at every level, both physically and mentally.”
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The 31-year-old, who made his Test debut in 2022, received his second Test cap against India in late July and had a strong chance of featuring in the squad for the Ashes despite a mixed outing at The Oval.
“It’s been a very tough decision, but one I’m happy I made,” Overton told Telegraph Sport.
“Growing up, like every young cricketer, it was my dream to play Test cricket, and I’ve loved every minute of my red-ball career. But at this point of my career my body just doesn’t handle it as well as I’d like it to.”
He continued: “Test cricket is very special, but it takes a lot out of you.
“I’ve not played a massive amount of Test cricket, but I need to prioritise my future, so it was trying to do the right thing at the right moment.”
Overton’s withdrawal could open the door for Durham quick Matthew Potts to earn an Ashes call-up.
England batter Harry Brook was taken aback by Overton’s decision, saying: “I’m a little bit shocked to be honest. I thought he did well in that last Test, he bowled quick. Obviously you’ve got to respect that decision that he’s going to have a little bit of a break from red-ball cricket. Hopefully at some point we’ll see him again in the future.
“You’ve just got to respect the decision, he obviously doesn’t feel like he wants to play red-ball cricket at the minute and we can’t do anything about it. He’s made the decision now but it’s unfortunate. I thought he did really well in that last Test match and it would have been nice to have him there in the Ashes.”
Overton will subsequently be available for the entirety of this summer’s Big Bash League having signed a deal with the Adelaide Strikers.
Last summer, the Englishman claimed 11 wickets and scored 191 runs for the Strikers.
“Jamie’s news came unexpected and it is sad to see, as he would have been part of our red-ball plans for the foreseeable future,” Rob Key, England Men’s director of cricket, said.
“That said, it serves as a reminder of the cricketing landscape we now operate in. We respect his decision and are grateful to him for informing us when he did.”
Overton has been picked in England’s squad for the upcoming ODI series against South Africa, which begins on Tuesday.
