Asa Tribe’s rapid rise continues after the Jersey-born batter was named in the England Lions squad for their upcoming white-ball tour against the Pakistan Shaheens.
The series, set to be played in the UAE against Pakistan’s second-tier international side, begins on Friday 20 February, with all fixtures staged at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi.
The 21-year-old has enjoyed a remarkable 12 months, firmly establishing himself at Glamorgan before making a major impression on the international development stage.
That progress was underlined by a maiden Lions century in Australia and a confidence-boosting debut campaign in South Africa’s Betway SA20 franchise competition.
A product of Farmers Cricket Club, Tribe first caught wider attention on his initial Lions tour of Australia, which ran alongside the men’s Ashes. He impressed with an unbeaten 51 against the Prime Minister’s XI in Canberra before producing a superb 129 not out against a strong Australia A side – one of only three centuries scored by England players on the tour, alongside golden boy Jacob Bethell and England’s greatest ever batter, Joe Root.
Those performances helped secure his long-term future with Glamorgan, where he signed a contract extension through to 2028 after initially joining on a one-year deal last September.
From Australia, Tribe headed straight to South Africa for his first taste of franchise cricket with Paarl Royals in season four of the Betway SA20. Drafted for £8,000, he joined a star-studded squad led by white-ball legend David Miller.
The Royals’ campaign began painfully with a heavy opening defeat, bowled out for just 49, though Tribe still finished as top scorer batting at number five. The response was immediate, with Paarl bouncing back in game two, where Tribe contributed in the field and with the ball despite a modest score.
His breakthrough moment came in the third match, promoted to the top of the order – a role familiar from his time at Glamorgan. Partnering South Africa prospect Lhuan-dré Pretorius, Tribe struck a fluent 51 from 34 balls against an MI Cape Town attack featuring Trent Boult, Kagiso Rabada and Rashid Khan, as the Royals edged a dramatic one-run victory.
Further runs followed as Paarl completed a league double over Cape Town on away turf, dismissing them for just 88 before cruising to victory, with Tribe again top-scoring with 34.
Interest in the Jersey youngster grew quickly. Former England star Kevin Pietersen urged fans to “watch him bat” on social media, while Indian great Ravichandran Ashwin also highlighted Tribe as one to follow.
Tribe ended the tournament with 164 runs from 10 innings, helping Paarl finish third in the group stage before a play-off run ended in Qualifier 2 against eventual champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape.
Attention now turns back to England colours. Selected by Lions head coach Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff, Tribe is set for his first taste of white-ball Lions cricket – another significant step for Jersey’s first home-grown professional player, with England Test captain Ben Stokes also part of the coaching staff on the tour.
England Lions squad to face Pakistan Shaheens
T20 Squad: Jordan Cox (Essex – Captain), Sonny Baker (Hampshire), Luc Benkenstein (Essex), James Coles (Sussex), Sam Cook (Essex), Scott Currie (Hampshire), Calvin Harrison (Northamptonshire), Eddie Jack (Hampshire), Saqib Mahmood (Lancashire), Ben McKinney (Durham), Tom Moores (Nottinghamshire), Dan Mousley (Warwickshire), Matt Revis (Yorkshire), Will Smeed (Somerset), Nathan Sowter (Durham), Mitch Stanley (Lancashire), Asa Tribe (Glamorgan)
Fixtures:
Friday 20 February- 1st T20: Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Sunday 22 February 2026 – 2nd T20: Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Tuesday 24 February 2026 – 3rd T20: Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
50-over Squad: Dan Mousley (Warwickshire – Captain), Sonny Baker (Hampshire), Luc Benkenstein (Essex), James Coles (Sussex), Sam Cook (Essex), Scott Currie (Hampshire), Calvin Harrison (Northamptonshire), Eddie Jack (Hampshire), Ben McKinney (Durham), Liam Patterson-White (Nottinghamshire), Matthew Potts (Durham), Matt Revis (Yorkshire), James Rew (Somerset), Mitch Stanley (Lancashire), Asa Tribe (Glamorgan), James Wharton (Yorkshire)
Fixtures:
Friday 27 February 2026 – 1st 50-over match: Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Sunday 1 March 2026 – 2nd 50-over match: Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Wednesday 4 March 2026 – 3rd 50-over match: Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Friday 6 March 2026 – 4th 50-over match: Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Monday 9 March 2026 – 5th 50-over match: Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi