England Lions players to fly back home as ECB opt against keeping them back in Australia

All but four members of the England Lions squad that spent significant time in Australia - and played two matches - will be flying back home as the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has opted against keeping the Lions squad members Down Under, despite incumbents struggling and multiple individuals impressing in the first-class game against Australia A. 

James Bracey, Ben Foakes and Josh Bohannon were among the batters who impressed in the four-day game against Australia A - Bracey struck a ton while the other two scored fifties - but the trio, and seven others, will be flying back home and will not be staying back as cover despite several senior squad players failing to set the stage on fire in Brisbane.

The only four players that will be staying back are Dom Bess, who is a part of the senior squad, and the trio of Tom Abell, Harry Brook and Saqib Mahmood, all of whom have Big Bash League (BBL) deals to fulfil. 

But when asked if he’d have preferred to stay back, Bracey made it clear that such a thought had not been ‘a huge thing at the forefront of our mind.’

"It's a big squad, the Ashes squad, and there's a few batters waiting in the wings," Bracey told reporters in Brisbane, reported ESPN Cricinfo.

"It's not been a huge thing at the forefront of our mind. But if it's now, or in later years, it's great to put a case forward in a Lions Test, and to get a hundred was really pleasing.

"I'm going home with one more first-class hundred than I had going out. In a year with a lots of ups and downs I've really backed myself technique-wise. Where my head's at is probably the big thing. There has been a lot to process, lots of stuff thrown at me.

"That was my aim coming out on this tour, [to] put a few things I've been working on into practice and this last couple of days caps it off. I'm really pleased with how it's gone and really happy with where my head is at currently. After what has happened it's good for me to relax.

"If I continue to put labels and targets on things and put everything on trying to get back in the Test team it wouldn't be good for me or for my game. Obviously I have that desire… to play Test cricket again and hopefully that happens sooner rather than later, but if it doesn't I'll keep working and see where my career takes me."

Bracey made his Test debut for England against New Zealand earlier this year, but the 24-year-old’s maiden Test outing turned out to be a nightmare, with him averaging 2.66 across 2 Tests. Last week, however, he struck a fighting 113 against a strong Australia A attack that consisted of the likes of Michael Neser, Scott Boland, Mark Steketee and Mitch Swepson.