Northants coach Darren Lehmann left bewildered as Saif Zaib is overlooked again by England Lions

The Lions take on Pakistan's A team in a three-match T20 series and also across five 50-over contests next month and into early March.

There is good news for Northants with the selection of leg-spinning all-rounder Calvin Harrison, who signed for the club from Nottinghamshire in October following successful loan stints in 2025, but Zaib has again been overlooked, just as he was for the tour to Australia before Christmas.

The left-handed batter has been ignored by the England selectors despite the fact he was the leading first-class run scorer in the County Championship last year, scoring a remarkable 1,425 runs at an average just shy of 65.

He scored six centuries and seven half-centuries in red ball cricket, and has also been a key part of the Steelbacks squad in both T20 and List A cricket for several seasons, helping Northants to a Blast quarter-final and semi-final in the past two years.

His T20 record is strong, scoring 1,625 runs at a strike-rate of 143.55, hitting eight half-centuries along the way, and he has taken 18 wickets with his left-arm spin. He is also an excellent fielder.

Zaib's form with the Steelbacks was rewarded last season with a call-up to play for Welsh Fire in The Hundred.

Lehmann is happy that Harrison has been called up, but took to social media to hit out at Zaib, who at 27 is the same age as Harrison, being overlooked again.

"Can someone please tell me why Saif Zaib has not been picked?," wrote Lehmann on X as he reposted the club announcing the news of Harrison’s inclusion.

"Is it because it's a short form tour? If so, some of the other players (in the squad) are in the same boat... 1,600 runs and six 100s (last season)."

Lehmann also tagged the ECB in his message, telling them that "the Northants telephone is on" while adding several laughing emojis.

Lehmann returns to the County Ground next month ahead of start of the new season, once he has completed his media duties Down Under with ABC.

The post about Zaib not being picked is not the first time Lehmann has questioned the selection process for England teams in recent weeks, as he also criticised the system on air during the Ashes Test series, in which his native Australia cruised to a 4-1 series win.

Speaking to the BBC Test Match Special team in January, Lehmann, who took over as head coach at Northants 12 months ago, said: "Who are the England selectors by the way? Because I have not seen any during my time in county cricket. Can someone tell us?

"I've never spoken to a selector, I've never seen a selector, and I am a county coach... that is unbelievable."