Olly Stone welcomes the challenge of attempting to force his way into England’s successful one-day team after being named in their 16-man squad for the series in Sri Lanka next month.

The uncapped paceman’s ability to exceed 90mph, coupled with a stellar season for Warwickshire, has led to him being summoned for the beginning of England’s winter programme as they build towards next year’s World Cup.

England sit at the top of the International Cricket Council one-day international rankings and Stone is relishing the prospect of bolstering a side that have won their last eight bilateral series against Test-playing nations.

“It’s a dream come true for me,” Stone said. “England’s one-day team have been very good so it’s going to be hard to break into the team but I’m looking forward to going out there and showing what I can do.”

His maiden international call-up comes a little more than two years after a serious knee problem suffered while celebrating a wicket led to him having to learn how to walk again.

After swapping Northamptonshire for Warwickshire, his 2017 campaign was punctuated by injury but he has hit form this year, amassing more than 50 wickets in all competitions.

Warwickshire sporting director and former England spinner Ashley Giles believes Stone deserves international recognition but warned the 24-year-old’s workload must be sensibly managed.

“We’ve really tried to manage his route back into cricket and it’s been quite tough at times with him in and out of the side after he’s picked up little niggles,” Giles told Warwickshire’s official website.

“He thought he might not play cricket at all a year ago and now he has a chance of playing in a World Cup.

“We can only keep him under wraps for so long but after the way we’ve managed it in consultation with England, who have listened to us, he’s now ready to go.

“You have to manage him with kid gloves. I think if you’re expecting Olly to play every day and be at it, he’ll break down.

“He’s a Ferrari. With many bowlers – your BMWs or your Audis – you just get in and go but if you have someone who bowls at pace and has had his history of injury, you have to treat them very carefully.”

Stone has been drafted into England’s squad as a substitute for Liam Plunkett, who will miss the first three of the five ODIs because of his wedding.

His Yorkshire team-mate and left-arm seamer David Willey, a regular in England’s white-ball line-ups, misses out due to a back complaint but Sam Curran acts as a like-for-like replacement.

Curran enhanced his reputation in the Test series victory over India this summer and is joined by older brother Tom for the trip to the sub-continent.

Liam Dawson, whose only ODI cap came against Pakistan in 2016, will supplement frontline spinners Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali for a tour where slow bowlers are expected to prosper.

Ben Stokes, left, and Alex Hales have both been included in the touring party (David Davies/PA)
Ben Stokes, left, and Alex Hales have both been included in the touring party (David Davies/PA)

As anticipated, all-rounder Ben Stokes and big-hitting batsman Alex Hales have been included one day after they were both charged with bringing the game into disrepute by the England and Wales Cricket Board.

The pair are slated to face disciplinary hearings on December 5 and 7 following a late-night street brawl outside a Bristol nightclub 12 months ago.

Stokes denied a charge of affray and was cleared following a seven-day trial at Bristol Crown Court last month. Hales was not charged but was present at the incident.