England's five new T20 recruits: All you need to know

Dubbed as favourites of the tournament, England played true to their tag in the league stages of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 before wilting away against eventual champions, Pakistan, in the semi-finals. An aggressive brand of cricket, some fearless cricketers and a team on the rise – the Three Lions have come leaps and bounds ever since their debacle in the 2015 World Cup.

That their senior players needed some time off and the World T20 being a long way off must have promoted the England management to bring in five new players for the T20s against South Africa that precedes a high-profile Test series.

The England selector said as much when announcing the squad.

"The T20 series against South Africa presents us with an opportunity to incorporate several players who have come through the talent pathway into the senior group," James Whitaker, England's national selector, said as revealed by ESPNCricinfo. "The squad has an exciting blend of youth and experience and we are looking forward to a competitive series against strong opposition."

Here is all you need to know about the five new T20 names in the England squad.

#5 Craig Overton

Much is expected of Craig Overton and his twin brother Jamie Overton

The highly truculent Somerset seamer, Craig Overton, has overcome a rather tumultuous period following a racial remark against a Pakistani batsman to book a place in England's T20 squad. The elder of the Overton twins, Craig is a handy all-rounder and is in line with England's current formula of picking bowlers who bat as well.

He enjoyed a terrific County Championship in 2016, with 34 wickets and over 400 runs to his name including a maiden hundred. He has been called up to the England squad before (ODIs against New Zealand) but hasn't represented them yet. His hostile spells in the County, however, haven't gone unnoticed by the selectors who clearly believe that despite numerous behavioural issues, he can be an asset for the England limited-overs side.

#4 Mason Crane

At 20, Hampshire leg-spinner, Mason Crane has a long career in front of him

The most watched spinner in the county circuit, 20-year-old Mason Crane turned heads when he was picked up by New South Wales as an overseas player. He was among the leading wicket-takers in the Royal London Cup with 14 scalps to his name. A huge fan of Shane Warne, the young leggie loves to give the ball a rip and could be a competition for Adil Rashid.

He promises much and David Whitaker revealed how important he is to the selectors' plans when he expressed his disappointment at Hampshire benching him for a few First-class games. There is enough talent in the youngster to believe that he could end England's search for a Shane Warne-sque leader in the spin department

#3 Dawid Malan

Dawid Malan could pose Jason Roy a stiff challenge for the opening slot

Almost touching his 30s, Middlesex opener Dawid Malan has broken through into the England T20 squad. He boasts of two hundreds and nineteen half-centuries in the format and is an aggressive option at the top of the order. He is in fine nick too, scoring a hundred and 84 against the touring South African A side for the England Lions.

His scintillating performances in 2016 earned him rave reviews but he failed to break into the national squad, which had Jason Roy and Alex Hales racking up big runs. He was eventually named in the England T20 squad but was omitted in favour of James Vince in the T20s against Sri Lanka. This time around though, there is little evidence to prove that England may not try him.

#2 Tom Curran

Tom Curran has been likened to Dale Steyn because of the banana swing he generates

22-year-old and the elder of the Curran brothers, the ponytailed Tom Curran made rapid strides in County Cricket in the past two years. Another South African-born cricketer, Curran thrives on outswingers without being too pacy. A bucket load of wickets in the Championship ensured that he was on the right path to earning a call-up.

He qualified to play for England in 2016 and it took him just one year to break into the squad. Picked for his special wicket-taking skills, Tom Curran could make a debut against his country of birth in the upcoming T20 series. He has 34 wickets to his name in 35 T20 games at an average of 28.35.

#1 Liam Livingstone

A flamboyant big hitter, Liam Livingstone is already a hit in the media

Widely touted to make it into the national team, Liam Livingstone has put in exemplary performances for the England Lions and Lancashire. Well known for a mesmeric 350 off 138 balls for his club Nantwich in 2015, the knock is believed to be one of the highest individual scores in an official accepted limited overs match, although it wouldn't count as List A.

With a high backlift reminiscent of AB de Villiers in his youth, Livingstone packs quite a punch with his attractive stroke play. Capable of scoring all around the wicket, the Lancashire batsman has emerged as a hard hitter with a penchant for big scores. His T20 numbers are rather mediocre but he has been picked more on talent than numbers.