England are gearing up for a T20I series against South Africa and Ireland in the next two weeks
Brendon McCullum says England need to find a way of dealing with their busy schedule
Sam Curran comes into the side and will bat in the top six
Brendon McCullum says England need to find a way of dealing with their busy schedule, as they will be without Ben Duckett and Jamie Smith for their upcoming T20Is.
England suffered a 2-1 ODI series defeat to South Africa but finished the series with a bang thanks to a record-breaking 342-run triumph at the Rose Bowl on Sunday.
McCullum's side now have T20I series against South Africa and Ireland in the next two weeksbefore a busy winter, which will see them travel to New Zealand for a white-ball tour before the start of the Ashes in November.
Duckett, Smith and Harry Brook have so far played all 15 of England's matches in the summer, as well as featured in The Hundred, but the trio will miss the upcoming trip to Ireland, while the former pair will also miss the series against South Africa.
With the T20 World Cup fast approaching, McCullum acknowledged the preparation was not ideal for England, as he seeks to find solutions.
"The scheduling isn't ideal," McCullum said. "That's just the way it is, and it's not going to change, so we're going to have to find ways to deal with it.
"We're just going to have to find ways to be able to hit the ground running a bit quicker than what we did in this one.
"I spoke to [Duckett] and I said, 'I think you need to freshen up. You've played so much cricket, and you're such an influential player for us over the next few months.' He'll have a decent break at home, as will Jamie Smith.
"It gives the other guys opportunities, and it's exciting, too. If we just rely on 11 players, then we're not really going to be competitive."
Sam Curran is one of those coming in and being given a chance for England, having received his first call-up by McCullum.
It has been confirmed that he will bat in the top six against South Africa, with the series starting on Wednesday in Cardiff, and McCullum is excited to see what he brings to the side.
"The message to Sam was that a lot's come to you quickly and you've had a lot of success and a lot of fame, and a lot of things have fallen your way," McCullum said.
"But, of late, your performance had just tailed off a bit. With us resting both Jamie and Ben, it gives us the opportunity to bring Sam in, and he'll get his chance to bat in the top six."
