Eight Years Later, Mason Crane Is Back With England

[Training Loft]

More than eight years after his last England appearance, Mason Crane is back in the national squad. The 29-year-old leg-spinner has been selected for England’s ODI tri-series against Pakistan and Sri Lanka later this month. If he gets onto the field, it will also be his first ever One Day International.

Crane’s first England opportunity came when he was still very young. He played two T20 internationals in 2017 before making his Test debut against Australia in Sydney in January 2018, aged just 20. It was a difficult match. Australia made a huge total and Crane finished with one wicket for 193 runs. That remains his only Test appearance.

But his career did not stop there. Crane kept playing domestic cricket and eventually moved from Hampshire to Glamorgan in 2024 in search of more regular opportunities. The change appears to have worked. He has developed into one of the more consistent leg-spinners in the domestic game, while his batting has improved dramatically too.

This summer has been particularly impressive. Crane took 51 wickets across all formats and scored two first-class centuries, despite being known primarily as a bowler. Earlier in his career, his first 70 first-class innings produced a highest score of only 29. His improvement has been enough to earn another look from England, with national selector Marcus North saying Crane “thoroughly deserves another opportunity at international level.”

There is also real competition for his place. England already have experienced spinner Adil Rashid in the squad, while Crane has been selected instead of 22-year-old Rehan Ahmed, who played in the recent ODI series against Sri Lanka. It means Crane is not guaranteed to play, but simply getting back into an England squad after such a long absence is a significant achievement.

England’s first match is against Pakistan in Rawalpindi on 20 October, followed by Sri Lanka on 22 October. The series then moves to Lahore and ends with a final on 31 October. With the 2027 World Cup approaching, Crane suddenly has an opportunity that would have seemed very unlikely only a few months ago.

Crane cannot change what happened during his first England spell, but eight years of domestic cricket have given him the chance to write a very different second chapter. Do you think athletes who perform consistently for years should be given more second chances at international level?

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