Tom Banton determined to grasp opportunity after late Champions Trophy call-up

Tom Banton’s route back into an England shirt has not been without its challenges but the batter is eager to make up for lost time – starting at the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy.

The 26-year-old made his international debut six days short of his 20^th birthday back in 2019 following a breakthrough summer which also led to Big Bash and IPL deals as well as comparisons with the likes of Kevin Pietersen.

He endured a lean spell thereafter but has worked his way back to the top level, an ascent he attributes to ‘keeping his head down’, and arrives in Pakistan in flying form.

The 26-year-old clubbed 493 runs at an average of 54.77 during the recent ILT20 in the UAE, with two centuries and three fifties, to build on his excellent form throughout 2024 in various short-form tournaments.

Those numbers propelled Banton back into the thoughts of new England white-ball coach Brendon McCullum, who coached Banton while leading Kolkata Knight Riders in 2020.

And when Jacob Bethell’s hamstring injury ruled him out of the forthcoming Champions Trophy, Banton was the obvious candidate to slot into England’s 15-man squad.

“It’s obviously very special to be in and around all the boys again,” he said.

“Wearing an England shirt again is such a special feeling. It was something I’d missed but it was something I didn’t think too much about.

“I kept my head down and stayed in my lane and just tried to do as well as I could. It’s a very special feeling and I’m excited for the tournament to get started.”

Banton joined up with the England squad ahead of their third ODI against India in which he joint-top scored with a composed 38 batting at number three, clearing the rope twice in the process, to mark the end of his five-year hiatus from the ODI stage and his first England appearance since 2022.

Banton joked that he ‘doesn’t want to speak too soon’ when asked about his current form – he knows more than anyone how quickly things can change in cricket.

Instead, he hopes to take everything in his stride and enjoy playing the game he fell out of love with a few years ago.

It was a period which, despite being difficult, has helped him in the long run.

He said: “You don’t wish that upon anyone, but I guess that’s part of life. I’ve learnt so much about myself away from cricket as well as through cricket.

“I’m not feeling sorry for myself, I just had a bad run of form, that’s sometimes how cricket is. But it’s put me in a better position now and it’s giving me a better understanding of life and cricket.

“There’s obviously always pressure when you’re playing for England. Playing for your country is the greatest thing you can do.

“But I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself, I haven’t really the last year or so. I feel I’ve got a bit more of an understanding about my game at the moment. I just want to enjoy it and try and contribute towards the team.”

The ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 will be the first instalment of the competition since 2017 and Banton’s goal is for England, who have reached the semi-finals of the competition twice, to lift the trophy come March 9.

“We won’t get too far ahead of ourselves,” he added. “We’ll just take each game as it comes, enjoy training and enjoy the time off.

“Pakistan is a great place so hopefully we can get out and do some cool things while we’re here.”

The competition could be a springboard for Banton to cement his place in England’s white-ball teams on a more permanent basis, while his County Championship form for Somerset has even opened up talk of a Test call-up in the future.

But the tall right-hander is just focused on doing his bit for the team and knows if he continues performing well, the rest will look after itself.

“I’m not going to get too far ahead and get caught up with all that,” he said.

“I’m just going to keep doing what I’ve been doing and hopefully that stuff takes care of itself. I’d love to play and love to do well, but if that’s not to happen then I’ll still try and learn as much as I can.”

The England team arrived in Pakistan on Monday evening ahead of their opening match against Australia and will have three training sessions prior to the clash at Gaddafi Stadium – in the wake of comments in the media regarding an alleged lack of practice in the recent 3-0 ODI series defeat in India.

Banton said: “There’s a fine balance between too much training and not enough. It’s also important to have your downtime as well.

“When you play a lot of cricket, training all the time isn’t always the answer sometimes.

“We’ve got three days ahead of our first game and then there’s a few days between [future] games so there’ll be time to get practice in.”

England’s opening fixture will also be McCullum’s first match leading England in a limited-overs tournament.

Banton spoke of his excitement about working again with the 43-year-old New Zealander, who he described as ‘one of the greatest players to have ever played the game’.

He added: “To be able to talk to him is very special. I worked with him a few years ago in the IPL, which was unreal, so to be back with him is very special. It’s pretty surreal.”