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Shah gets nod for India
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Owais Shah has been named in the England squad for the Test tour of India this winter in preference to Ravi Bopara.
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National selector Geoff Miller announced a 15-man party for the two Tests in December, Kevin Pietersen's maiden away series as Test captain.
With Pietersen's predecessor Michael Vaughan out of the reckoning on grounds of form, the focus was on the identity of the back-up batsman.
Middlesex's Shah pipped Bopara, who was called up following Vaughan's absence for the final Test victory over South Africa at The Oval last month.
Miller said: "Our decision to pick Owais Shah was based on the fact that he is an excellent player of spin who played a superb innings in India on his Test debut two years ago.
"It's a further opportunity for him to build on his success with the one-day side this year and his inclusion in the squad will create real competition for places within the batting unit."
The side which beat South Africa was retained, although Matt Prior is expected to be first-choice wicketkeeper ahead of Tim Ambrose.
"Matt Prior has enjoyed an impressive domestic season with Sussex and having re-established himself in the England one-day side, he will now compete with Tim Ambrose for the position of Test wicketkeeper," Miller added.
Selection of the second spinner and extra pace bowler went to the Nottinghamshire duo of Graeme Swann - in reserve to Monty Panesar - and Ryan Sidebottom.
"The inclusion of Graeme Swann as off-spinner provides us with a right-arm/left-arm slow bowling combination which we believe can be effective in India.
"Graeme has bowled well in tandem with Monty Panesar when they were at Northamptonshire together and he will be keen to renew the partnership this winter," Miller commented.
Although off-spinner Swann's Championship output was more than doubled by Adil Rashid (62 wickets) the Yorkshire leg-spinner must wait.
Left-armer Sidebottom will need to prove his fitness after a number of niggles which blighted his late season.
England Test Squad: Kevin Pietersen (Hampshire, captain), Tim Ambrose (Warwickshire), James Anderson (Lancashire), Ian Bell (Warwickshire), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Paul Collingwood (Durham), Alastair Cook (Essex), Andrew Flintoff (Lancashire), Stephen Harmison (Durham), Monty Panesar (Northamptonshire), Matt Prior (Sussex), Owais Shah (Middlesex), Ryan Sidebottom (Nottinghamshire), Andrew Strauss (Middlesex), Graeme Swann (Nottinghamshire)
England Performance Programme squad: Tim Bresnan (Yorkshire), Mark Davies (Durham), Steven Davies (Worcestershire), Joe Denly (Kent), Robbie Joseph (Kent), Robert Key (Kent), Amjad Khan (Kent), Sajid Mahmood (Lancashire), Dawid Malan (Middlesex), Eoin Morgan (Middlesex), Stephen Moore (Worcestershire), Liam Plunkett (Durham), Adil Rashid (Yorkshire), Ollie Rayner (Sussex), Jonathan Trott (Warwickshire)
Story from www.Eurosport.com
More StoriesThorpe: Vaughan should have gone
Aussies deny move for Vaughan
National selector Geoff Miller announced a 15-man party for the two Tests in December, Kevin Pietersen's maiden away series as Test captain.
With Pietersen's predecessor Michael Vaughan out of the reckoning on grounds of form, the focus was on the identity of the back-up batsman.
Middlesex's Shah pipped Bopara, who was called up following Vaughan's absence for the final Test victory over South Africa at The Oval last month.
Miller said: "Our decision to pick Owais Shah was based on the fact that he is an excellent player of spin who played a superb innings in India on his Test debut two years ago.
"It's a further opportunity for him to build on his success with the one-day side this year and his inclusion in the squad will create real competition for places within the batting unit."
The side which beat South Africa was retained, although Matt Prior is expected to be first-choice wicketkeeper ahead of Tim Ambrose.
"Matt Prior has enjoyed an impressive domestic season with Sussex and having re-established himself in the England one-day side, he will now compete with Tim Ambrose for the position of Test wicketkeeper," Miller added.
Selection of the second spinner and extra pace bowler went to the Nottinghamshire duo of Graeme Swann - in reserve to Monty Panesar - and Ryan Sidebottom.
"The inclusion of Graeme Swann as off-spinner provides us with a right-arm/left-arm slow bowling combination which we believe can be effective in India.
"Graeme has bowled well in tandem with Monty Panesar when they were at Northamptonshire together and he will be keen to renew the partnership this winter," Miller commented.
Although off-spinner Swann's Championship output was more than doubled by Adil Rashid (62 wickets) the Yorkshire leg-spinner must wait.
Left-armer Sidebottom will need to prove his fitness after a number of niggles which blighted his late season.
England Test Squad: Kevin Pietersen (Hampshire, captain), Tim Ambrose (Warwickshire), James Anderson (Lancashire), Ian Bell (Warwickshire), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Paul Collingwood (Durham), Alastair Cook (Essex), Andrew Flintoff (Lancashire), Stephen Harmison (Durham), Monty Panesar (Northamptonshire), Matt Prior (Sussex), Owais Shah (Middlesex), Ryan Sidebottom (Nottinghamshire), Andrew Strauss (Middlesex), Graeme Swann (Nottinghamshire)
England Performance Programme squad: Tim Bresnan (Yorkshire), Mark Davies (Durham), Steven Davies (Worcestershire), Joe Denly (Kent), Robbie Joseph (Kent), Robert Key (Kent), Amjad Khan (Kent), Sajid Mahmood (Lancashire), Dawid Malan (Middlesex), Eoin Morgan (Middlesex), Stephen Moore (Worcestershire), Liam Plunkett (Durham), Adil Rashid (Yorkshire), Ollie Rayner (Sussex), Jonathan Trott (Warwickshire)
Story from www.Eurosport.com