DIMITRI Mascarenhas has been handed an England lifeline - after being named in the Hong Kong Sixes squad with Hampshire teammate Chris Tremlett.
Hampshire all-rounder Mascarenhas and fast bowler Tremlett are both in a seven-man squad that will defend England's Hong Kong Sixes title at the Kowloon cricket Club on November 6-7.
It is especially good news for Mascarenhas, who, unlike Tremlett, was controversially left out of England's provisional 30-man squad for last month's ICC Champions Trophy.
Now he is preparing to show that he deserves a one-day international call-up in Kowloon, where England will play under the captaincy of veteran Glamorgan batsman Matthew Maynard, who was last month named as the assistant coach for England's one-day side.
Chairman of selectors David Graveney said: "Too much was made of Dimi not being in that provisional Champions' Trophy squad, which was like drawing a line in the sand.
"Dimi's form has been very good and we've always felt that he can play
"He's certainly very well suited to sixes cricket. He's going to have to bowl one over and be on the mark from the start and there's no time to play yourself in, which is perfect for him. He's a fine attacking player.
"And, with Matthew Maynard being involved in the England one-day set up now, it gives all the young players in this squad the chance to impress."
Tremlett's hopes of an ICC Champions' Trophy call-up were dashed when he was injured days after being named in the provisional squad.
Now that he is fit again, he was tipped to make the England squad for next month's Zimbabwe tour and has been monitored by England since being named in the inaugural ECB academy in 2001-02.
Graveney added: "We all know that Chris is a talent. He's worked a lot with Paddy Farhart, the Hampshire physio, and is only going to get stronger."
Robin Smith and Kevan James are the only other Hampshire players to feature in a Hong Kong Sixes squad for England.
Smith was man of the tournament in 1994 and Tremlett and Mascarenhas are two of only three players in the party not to have won the competition last year - Essex's Graham Napier is the other.
Last year, Maynard led England to the title for the first time since former Hampshire captain Smith helped his country to win back to back Hong Kong Sixes titles in 1993-94. The matches are five overs-a-side and England will be in Pool One with Sri Lanka, Kenya and Hong Kong. Pool Two comprises of Pakistan, South Africa, India and the United Arab Emirates. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the semi-finals.
The teams will be competing for a prize fund of US$260,000, with the winners taking away US $80,000.
England squad: Matthew Maynard (capt, wkt), Kabir Ali, Glen Chapple, Darren Maddy, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Graham Napier, Chris Tremlett, David Graveney (manager).
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