Rocky Flintoff, the 16-year-old son of Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff, has been called up to the England Lions squad for their Australia tour in January.

He is one of a number of young names called up to gain experience of the conditions ahead of next winter’s Ashes, with Test players Shoaib Bashir, Tom Hartley and Josh Tongue amongst those in the squad.

The Lions will play a Cricket Australia XI in two matches, and face a four-day unofficial Test against Australia A.

Flintoff signed his first professional deal with Lancashire in June and made his first-team debut in July. He has since played four first-class matches and seven List A games.

His father, a former England all-rounder and presenter, became Lions head coach in September.

The younger Flintoff has enjoyed a meteoric rise this year, becoming a last-minute call-up to the Lions squad on tour in South Africa earlier this month, having previously played for the U19s.

He is among several players with fewer than 10 first-class matches under their belts to receive a call-up, including pace bowler John Turner and batters Ben McKinney, Freddie McCann and Hamza Shaikh.

Off-spinner Bashir has risen up the ranks this year and has played 15 of the last 16 Tests, with this tour an opportunity to gain more experience in Australia, while Hartley and Tongue will be hoping to re-earn a place in the England squad.

Tongue has spent a year out with a pectoral injury and Hartley has not been selected since playing all five Tests in India last winter.

Another promising young player, 20-year-old Leicestershire seamer Josh Hull, is not officially included in the squad but will travel with them as he continues his recovery from a quad injury.