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13:00 GMT, Monday, 29 December 2008

Vaughan misses out on tour place

Michael Vaughan will miss the tour to the West Indies

Former captain Michael Vaughan has missed out on a place in England's Test squad for the tour to the West Indies.

The selectors have kept faith with Ian Bell despite a poor tour of India, with Owais Shah providing batting cover.

Uncapped Yorkshire leg-spinner Adil Rashid is in the Test squad, as is seamer Ryan Sidebottom, who missed the India Test series with a side injury.

Worcestershire wicketkeeper/batsman Steven Davies, 22, replaces Tim Ambrose in the one-day squad.

The possibility of a recall for Vaughan dominated the back page headlines prior to the announcement.

But national selector Geoff Miller told BBC Radio Five Live: "There's got to be justification of why people are included in the side and since Michael's problems last year when he gave up the captaincy there's not been an awful lot of runs.

"We know what he's capable of, he's got a central contract and he's still in our plans. Michael will go with Yorkshire to Abu Dhabi for pre-season and no doubt sort his technique and career out and start pushing for selection next year."

As to why Vaughan was not chosen for the England Lions tour to New Zealand, Miller said: "There are other players we want to look at and... we're quite happy for him to do what's necessary with Yorkshire."

Vaughan stood down as captain in August after a poor run of form and was dropped for the recent tour of India, although he retained his central contract with the England and Wales Cricket Board.

606: DEBATE
"While most will agree with Vaughan's omission, others might wonder how Ian Bell has retained his place"
BBC Sport's Ben Dirs

The two parties agreed a formula for his recuperation in time for a possible return in time for the 2009 Ashes, involving a period of rest followed by low-profile opportunities to rediscover his best form with England's performance squad.

However, the November attacks in Mumbai forced the abandonment of Vaughan's planned match practice with England's second string.

England lost the Test series in India 1-0, having been beaten on home soil by South Africa in their previous series, but Miller said the team had "performed creditably against strong opposition".

Explaining 20-year-old Rashid's inclusion in the squad, he continued: "Adil Rashid... is an exciting prospect for the future and his inclusion will enable us to continue to monitor his development closely as well as providing extra competition for places in the spin-bowling department."

The Test squad will arrive in the Caribbean on 21 January and play two warm-up games prior to the first of four Tests, which begins in Jamaica on 4 February.

They will be confident of success after winning the last four series against West Indies, including a 3-0 success in the Caribbean four years ago, a series in which fast bowler Steve Harmison took 23 wickets.

The Test series will be followed by a Twenty20 international and five one-dayers with the final match scheduled for St Lucia on 3 April.

Apart from the inclusion of Davies, the selectors have also recalled Hampshire captain Dimitri Mascarenhas, who last played for England in June, to the one-day squad. Alastair Cook and Luke Wright have been dropped.

"Dimitri Mascarenhas has performed well for England before in the shorter form of the game and we feel that his experience will serve the team well in the Caribbean," said Miller.

"Steven Davies had an excellent season for Worcestershire in both forms of cricket and is a young player of tremendous promise whose performances we have been monitoring for some time.

"This is an exciting opportunity for him and I am sure he will be keen to impress."


England Test squad for tour to West Indies: Kevin Pietersen (Hampshire, capt), Tim Ambrose (Warwickshire), James Anderson (Lancashire), Ian Bell (Warwickshire), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Paul Collingwood (Durham), Alastair Cook (Essex), Andrew Flintoff (Lancashire), Steve Harmison (Durham), Monty Panesar (Northamptonshire), Matt Prior (Sussex), Adil Rashid (Yorkshire), Owais Shah (Middlesex), Ryan Sidebottom (Nottinghamshire), Andrew Strauss (Middlesex), Graeme Swann (Nottinghamshire).

England one-day squad for tour to West Indies: Kevin Pietersen (Hampshire, capt), James Anderson (Lancashire), Ian Bell (Warwickshire), Ravi Bopara (Essex), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Paul Collingwood (Durham), Steven Davies (Worcestershire), Andrew Flintoff (Lancashire), Steve Harmison (Durham), Dimitri Mascarenhas (Hampshire), Samit Patel (Nottinghamshire), Matt Prior (Sussex), Owais Shah (Middlesex), Graeme Swann (Nottinghamshire), Ryan Sidebottom (Nottinghamshire).

England Lions squad to tour New Zealand: Robert Key (Kent, capt), Gareth Batty (Worcestershire), Ravi Bopara (Essex), Mark Davies (Durham), Steven Davies (Worcestershire)*, Joe Denly (Kent), Amjad Khan (Kent), Sajid Mahmood (Lancashire), Stephen Moore (Worcestershire), Eoin Morgan (Middlesex), Samit Patel (Nottinghamshire), Liam Plunkett (Durham), Jonathan Trott (Warwickshire), Luke Wright (Sussex).

* Tim Ambrose will replace Steven Davies in the Lions squad after the Test series in the West Indies.




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Related to this story:

Jonathan Agnew column (29 Dec 08 |  England )
England in West Indies 2009 (01 Jun 08 |  England )
Moores hints at Vaughan comeback (24 Dec 08 |  England )
Moxon backs Vaughan's sabbatical (29 Sep 08 |  Yorkshire )
India win series with Mohali draw (23 Dec 08 |  England )
England after India: the verdict (24 Dec 08 |  England )
Pietersen takes positives from series defeat (23 Dec 08 |  Cricket )
Vaughan targeting England return (24 Nov 08 |  England )
Vaughan handed England contract (09 Sep 08 |  England )
Vaughan omitted from India tour (27 Sep 08 |  England )
Michael Vaughan career photos (03 Aug 08 |  Cricket )
Vaughan quits as England captain (04 Aug 08 |  England )

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