Specialists called up

Darren Maddy © Getty Images

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The England selectors have named a 14-man squad for the first four matches of the forthcoming NatWest Series against India and a 15-man squad for the ICC World Twenty20 2007 in South Africa.

England’s World Twenty20 squad contains five players who have been recalled to the international set-up following consistent performances in the domestic Twenty20 competition: James Kirtley, Darren Maddy, Chris Schofield, Jeremy Snape and Vikram Solanki together with one uncapped player, the Sussex all-rounder Luke Wright.

Andrew Flintoff has been named in both squads subject to recovering full fitness, along with the Essex all-rounder Ravi Bopara, who, like Flintoff, missed the NatWest Series against West Indies through injury.

Ravi Bopara has been named in both squads © Getty Images

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Commenting on the squads, chairman of selectors David Graveney said: “Our squad for the NatWest Series against India contains the majority of the players chosen for the NatWest Series against West Indies earlier this summer.

“We are pleased to welcome Ravi Bopara and Andrew Flintoff back to the squad and we will continue to monitor Andrew’s rehabilitation from his ankle injury closely in the run-up to the tournament against India.

“India will be tough opponents in the 50-over game and the challenge for the team will be to demonstrate greater consistency in performance as we continue to build towards the next World Cup in 2011.

“Having reviewed the team’s performances in the NatWest International Twenty20 matches against West Indies, the selectors felt it was necessary to include a number of players with greater experience of this format of the game in the squad to go to South Africa.

“The World Twenty20 tournament will be new ground for everyone and we feel that combining players with experience of one-day international cricket together with Twenty20 ‘specialists’ will give us the best possible chance of success.”

NatWest Series squad

Paul Collingwood (captain, Durham)
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)
Chris Tremlett (Hampshire)

ICC World Twenty20 squad

Paul Collingwood (captain, Durham)
Ravi Bopara (Essex)
Stuart Broad (Leicestershire)
Andrew Flintoff (Lancashire)
James Kirtley (Sussex)
Darren Maddy (Warwickshire)
Kevin Pietersen (Hampshire)
Matthew Prior (Sussex)
Chris Schofield (Surrey)
Owais Shah (Middlesex)
Ryan Sidebottom (Nottinghamshire)
Jeremy Snape (Leicestershire)
Vikram Solanki (Worcestershire)
Chris Tremlett (Hampshire)
Luke Wright (Sussex)