England to unleash 90+ mph bowler Tymal Mills in T20I match against Sri Lanka

Mills had bowled Chris Gayle with a 93-mph yorker in a Natwest T20 Blast match earlier in June

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have named Tymal Mills, the 23-year-old left-armer dubbed the ‘fastest bowler in England’, in the one-off T20 against Sri Lanka set to take place on July 5 at Southampton.

The T20 international at the Ageas Bowl will be the final game of Sri Lanka’s tour to the UK and England, who are on the verge of clean sweeping the three-match Test series, are in no mood to make the contest any easier for the tourists. Nicknamed ‘Rapid Mills’ due to his express pace, the Sussex youngster was forced to retire from first-class cricket last year owing to a congenital back condition. 

Despite the medical setback, Mills has remained calm and turned the condition into an advantage by bowling express pace in the only format suited to his style – T20 cricket. Mills cleaned up Chirs Gayle with a 93 mph yorker in the Natwest Blast match between Sussex and Somerset on June 5, leading to calls from cricket experts, including former England skipper Nasser Hussain, urging the national selectors to pick Mills for his “raw ability.”

"Other than the fear of him snapping, there is no reason this lad shouldn't play T20 for England or domestically around the world," Hussain had said after the match on Sky Sports. “He bowled out world superstar Gayle, nearly bumped out Mahela Jayawardena and showed he has a brilliant slower ball as well as a brilliant faster ball - in terms of raw ability, he has it all."

Mills made the case for his selection even stronger with figures of three for 15 against Kent in the NatWest T20 Blast on Friday and had spoken of his ambitions of representing England at the national level in whatever way he could. 

“I've always wanted to play for England,” Mills said, as reported by the Daily Mail. “When I was playing first-class cricket, I wanted to play for England in all formats. I know that can't happen now because of my bad back, but nothing's changed. I'm only 23, and I've got a lot of cricket left in me.”

Despite his medical problems, Mills is not planning to curb his pace at any cost and believes that he can bowl even faster than he does now. 

“I bowled Chris Gayle with a 93.5mph delivery against Somerset, but I think I bowled quicker against Kent the other day,” he said. “I feel in good shape. I'm always going to run in all guns blazing, and try to attack at good pace.”