Jamie Overton to Play as Specialist Batter for England T20I Debut Against Australia

On September 10, 2024, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) named its squad for the upcoming T20I series against Australia, featuring three debutants.

Among the debutants is Jamie Overton, a fast bowler who is set to make his T20I debut on September 11, 2024. Overton, 30, previously represented England in Tests during a match against New Zealand in Leeds in 2022, where he gained recognition for his remarkable 241-run seventh-wicket partnership.

Although Overton is primarily known as a bowling all-rounder, he will appear in the T20I series as a specialist batter. This decision stems from a back stress fracture sustained in April 2024 while bowling for Surrey in the County Championship.

Despite this injury, Jamie Overton has continued to participate in professional cricket, exclusively as a batter. Since July 2024, he has played five T20 Blast matches for Surrey as a specialist batter, averaging 23.66 with an impressive strike rate close to 170.00.

During the 2024 season of The Hundred, Overton also played solely as a batter for the Manchester Originals. In that tournament, he scored 94 runs at an average of 15.66 with a strike rate of 107.00, primarily batting in the No. 5 and No. 6 positions.

In the first T20I against Australia, Jamie Overton is set to bat at No. 7 for the English side, which is led by Phil Salt as captain and wicketkeeper.

While it has been confirmed that Overton will serve as a specialist batter in the T20I series, his return to bowling in a professional capacity remains uncertain.