SA vs ENG 2020: 'Gutted' not to be selected for South Africa series: Lancashire spinner Matt Parkinson

Lancashire leg-spinner Matt Parkinson has admitted that he was ‘gutted’ over his non-inclusion in the England squad for the upcoming limited-overs series against South Africa.

Parkinson made his T20I in November 2019 and his ODI debut at the start of 2020. However, he had to miss the series against Ireland owing to an injury, and wasn’t picked in England squads for the South Africa series.

"I was gutted not to be selected. It was an odd summer, really. I didn't really know where I stood (with England) when I came back to play for Lancashire,” Matt Parkinson told Cricinfo.

"I think if you spoke to a lot of the young lads on the fringes, it was quite a tough summer to see where you fitted in, just due to the lack of cricket we played."

"To be fit in the whole of lockdown and then get so close to the season…it was stinking timing. I think I played 11 T20 games. I started a bit slowly but I thought I might have pushed my case in them with a decent finish and I was hoping I could sneak on as back-up spinner to Rash (Adil Rashid) but obviously it wasn't to be,” Matt Parkinson further said.

The 24-year-old Parkinson revealed that England selector Ed Smith rang him up, but didn’t give him too much feedback as he would have been making phone calls to other youngsters as well.

"Obviously the squad that they've taken is fantastic and is a very tough one to break into, so all I can do is keep working. There are areas that I know I need to work on, and those are the things he stressed," Matt Parkinson went on to add.

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‘Slow’ Matt Parkinson won’t alter bowling style

Matt Parkinson, who is considered to be one of the slowest spinners in the country, asserted that he is not going to alter his natural style of bowling to try and make a comeback into the England team.

"The speed and the skills I've got currently are obviously doing well in the Blast. I like to think I've got decent control for a legspinner, and I get a little bit of drift and some spin as well."

"When you get a taste for international cricket it does show you the slight things in your game that you do need to tweak but I'm not going to change the whole package just to play for England - I have to stay true to what I do," he added.

Matt Parkinson has picked up five wickets in T20Is so far, while he is yet to open his account in ODIs.

England’s limited-overs tour of South Africa will kick off with the first T20I at Cape Town on November 27. The series will feature three T20Is and as many ODIs.