Harry Singh was one among the three substitute players to take the field on Day 1 of England‘s first Test against Sri Lanka at Old Trafford in Manchester, which began on August 21, Wednesday. Singh alongside teammates Charlie Barnard and Kesh Fonseka, Singh was selected for 12th-man duties by the English and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).
In the game, England’s stand-in captain Ollie Pope won the toss and opted to field first. Singh, an opening batter took the field early in the match. The 20-year-old returned in the post-lunch session to substitute for Harry Brook in the 37th over of the opening innings.
Beyond sharing the surname Singh, the Lancashire batter has a strong connection to Indian cricket. Harry’s father is RP Singh, a former cricketer who represented India during the 1980s as a left-arm fast bowler. The 59-year-old has also played two ODIs against Australia in 1986. Additionally, he had a notable career at the domestic level, featuring in 59 first-class matches where he picked up 150 wickets and amassed 1,413 runs. He last represented Central Zone against North Zone in the Duleep Trophy in 1991.
After retiring from professional cricket, RP Singh transitioned to coaching, relocating to England in the late 1990s. He began his coaching career with Lancashire County Cricket Club and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).
Following in his father’s footsteps, Harry has been steadily progressing in his professional cricket career. In July 2024, he made his List A debut for Lancashire in the One-Day Cup. He has accumulated 87 runs in seven matches at an average of 12.42 and a strike rate of 64.44, with his highest score being 25. The 20-year-old a; also picked up two wickets with his off-breaks.
Interestingly, his talent was spotlighted in 2022 when he was picked up for England’s U19 squad for their home series against Sri Lanka. In 2023, he took part in both Under-19 Tests against Australia in Brisbane in late January and early February 2023.
Harry disclosed that he first picked up a bat at the age of four after signing a contract with Lancashire.
“I started playing cricket at the age of four, joined Lancashire’s pathway system at eight and have been on the Lancs Academy since I was 15 – so it has been a long journey for me to reach this point,” he had told.
