Ashley Giles hints at introducing new faces to England squad for home Test series against New Zealand

England team's Director of Cricket Ashley Giles has hinted that the team management could go with some new faces in the home Test series against New Zealand. The IPL-bound English players are still quarantining in a hotel and may not be 'match-ready' for the two Tests versus the Kiwis.

Keeping the series against India and Australia in mind, Ashley Giles feels that the IPL-bound players must get some rest. He also pointed out how different players have different ways of preparing themselves for a series, so some of them might not be ready to play against New Zealand.

“All these guys [those returning from the IPL] are currently in quarantine and have had a number of spells in quarantine and bubbles. For some, it’s their choice, I get that. We need to look after them, with the amount of cricket they’ve got coming up, we’re not going to rush or force them back into cricket," Giles was quoted as saying by Evening Standard.

England's returning IPL players will not be rushed in New Zealand Tests✍️ @willis_macp https://t.co/fsYJrquWE9

— Standard Sport (@standardsport) May 10, 2021

Sam Curran, Jos Buttler, Chris Woakes, Moeen Ali and Jonny Bairstow are England's regular Test players in quarantine.

Giles said they would not rush or force the IPL stars into action, thus subtly confirming that some new players will get opportunities against New Zealand.

"Chris Woakes likes to get more overs under his belt with the red ball before he’s up to speed" - Ashley Giles

Chris Woakes is one of the top English all-rounders right now

Ashley Giles further elaborated on how different players react differently when it comes to being match ready. Citing Chris Woakes' example, Giles stressed the significance of dealing with the IPL stars on a case-by-case basis.

"On the matter of playing cricket, they are all different. We know historically that Chris Woakes likes to get more overs under his belt with the red ball before he’s up to speed. Others react differently to that, so it’s a case by case basis," Ashley Giles added.

Counting down the days until we see a Broady celebrappeal 😜 pic.twitter.com/gE1GgwRGyT

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) May 10, 2021

The Test series between New Zealand and England will begin on June 2. London will host the first Test, while Birmingham will play host to the second game.