PCC Select XI: England opening batter Emilio Gay has been named in a 14-player Professional County Club (PCC) Select XI squad for a three-day warm-up fixture against the touring Pakistan side, starting at Beckenham on Thursday. It is followed by matches between the two teams at Lord’s (August 27-31) and Edgbaston (September 9-13) respectively.
Left-handed batter Gay, 26, suffered an injury scare after retiring hurt with a shoulder issue while batting for Durham in their One-Day Cup match against Middlesex. Gay felt discomfort in his right shoulder after hitting Toby Roland-Jones for four past mid-on, and immediately clutched the joint before signalling for the physio.
Despite undergoing a scan, Gay is expected to prove his fitness during the Beckenham encounter ahead of England's three-match Test series against Pakistan, which is a part of the World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, where the hosts are seventh in the standings and the visitors in eighth spot.