Swann and Wright for Sri Lanka one-day series
CRICKET: England have selected off-spinner Graeme Swann and
all-rounder Luke Wright for their forthcoming one-day international tour
of Sri Lanka.
Swann has been recalled seven years after his last England
appearance, while Wright, who made a half century on his debut against
India last week, gets a further chance to impress.
Swann, 28, who bowled just five overs when he made his only
appearance of the tour of South Africa in Bloemfontein in January 2000,
admitted he thought his England career was over.
"You start to think that at some stage but I hoped it hadn't. I now
hope to go to Sri Lanka and get in the team," he told Sky Sports News.
"If the wickets are turning I've got to make sure I bowl well enough
to earn a place in the side.
"This season things have gone gone really well for me for at
Nottinghamshire and I'm glad to have got the recognition.
"I got the phone call yesterday. It's been hard to keep a lid on,
I've been really excited."
Ravi Bopara and Ryan Sidebottom have both been named in the squad
despite nagging injuries. Bopara has a thumb injury and Sidebottom is
recovering from a side strain.
Chairman of selectors, David Graveney, said: "The selectors were
delighted with many aspects of the team's performance against India.
"We have retained Luke Wright in the squad to tour Sri Lanka
following his impressive debut last week and made one change to the
original squad named for The NatWest Series against India with Graeme
Swann replacing Chris Tremlett.
"The local conditions in Sri Lanka are, of course, favourable to spin
bowling and Graeme's inclusion in the squad will give us the option of
fielding two spinners in our starting line-up if required."
Meanwhile, England wicketkeeper Matt Prior was not given a central
contract for the 2007-08 season.
Prior, 25, has been behind the stumps throughout England's recent
series against the West Indies and India, but the Sussex star was not
among the 12 players contracted to the end of the 2008 domestic season.
He scored a century on Test debut in May but has been inconsistent
since, although he is still England's first choice and was the only
keeper named in the 15-man squad for the forthcoming one-day series in
Sri Lanka.
Sidebottom has been awarded a central contract for the first time as
reward for some impressive performances after winning a recall six years
after his Test debut.
Fellow seamer James Anderson is also named among the 12 contracted
players.
Ashley Giles, Simon Jones and Marcus Trescothick drop from the list
of contracted players. Giles has now retired, Jones is still battling
back from long-term injury while Trescothick has not featured all summer
due to the stress-related illness that affected him last winter.
England's One Day squad to tour Sri Lanka:
Paul Collingwood (Durham, capt), James Anderson (Lancashire), Ian
Bell (Warwickshire), Ravi Bopara (Essex), Stuart Broad (Leicestershire),
Alastair Cook (Essex), Andrew Flintoff (Lancashire), Dimitri Mascarenhas
(Hampshire), Monty Panesar (Northamptonshire), Kevin Pietersen
(Hampshire), Matthew Prior (Sussex), Owais Shah (Middlesex), Ryan
Sidebottom (Nottinghamshire), Graeme Swann (Nottinghamshire), Luke
Wright (Sussex)
AFP, London, Monday |