Cricket: Sidebottom Recalled By England

Ryan Sidebottom, the left-arm pace bowler who appeared to have been consigned to the file marked "one Test wonders", has been recalled by England after six years. He is in the squad of 13 for the second Test against West Indies amid a crisis of fitness and form that sees Matthew Hoggard definitely and Andrew Flintoff possibly missing the game through injury.

The 29-year-old Sidebottom, once of Yorkshire but now at Nottinghamshire, will compete with James Anderson for a place in the final XI for the match starting on Friday at Headingley. Michael Vaughan returns as captain, with the possibility that Andrew Strauss, who led the side in this week's drawn first Test, will miss out. Owais Shah, who played after Vaughan broke a finger, but who twice failed while batting at No3, has been omitted.

Sidebottom's single Test came against Pakistan at Lord's in 2001, when he did not take a wicket. At the time it was felt a falling away in delivery and consequent pushing of the ball across right-handed batsmen as a stock delivery would not lead to consistent success at the highest level where the best bring the ball into the bat. His promotion comes after the injury to Hoggard's right thigh that restricted him to 10 completed overs in West Indies' first innings. Yesterday the chairman of selectors, David Graveney, expressed optimism that Hoggard would be fit for the third Test at Old Trafford on June 7.

Whether Flintoff is able to participate at Headingley depends not only on evidence that his ankle has not suffered a reaction to the fitness tests he will undergo today and tomorrow but also on whether he would be able to send down sufficient full-on overs to justify his selection as part of a four-man attack should it be needed.

Even if he plays, Matt Prior's century in his first Test innings seems to have made the necessity to bolster the batting less of an issue, while the unreliability with the ball of Steve Harmison and Liam Plunkett increases the need to pad out the bowling. The inclusion of Flintoff, either at No6 or, given the form of Prior, at No7, will inevitably create selection problems that involve the return of Vaughan.

To accommodate him, one of Alastair Cook, Strauss, Ian Bell, Kevin Pietersen and Paul Collingwood would have to be omitted, four of them having made centuries in the last Test and the fifth, Strauss, leading the side. The manner in which Bell was moved down to No6 and Shah inserted at No3 suggested either that the former who was being considered for the drop or that Shah was an expedient to keep warm a seat, so that there would be minimum disruption on Vaughan's return.

Strauss's form - he was outmaneuvered by Australia and struggled during the World Cup - would make him most vulnerable. His absence, though, given the manner in which Vaughan has been indulged, with no need for him to prove form or fitness by playing, as others would, will do little for morale. It will also mean either Vaughan must reconsider his preference for No3 and open instead, or someone, Bell probably, would have to shift. Whatever, in pandering to Vaughan, the selectors have created an unsatisfactory situation for themselves and the team.

England squad

Age Tests

MP Vaughan Yorks, capt 32 64

AJ Strauss Middlesex 30 37

AN Cook Essex 22 15

IR Bell Warwickshire 25 24

KP Pietersen Hampshire 26 24

PD Collingwood Durham 30 21

A Flintoff Lancashire 29 66

MJ Prior Sussex, wkt 25 1

SJ Harmison Durham 28 50

LE Plunkett Durham 22 7

MS Panesar Northants 25 14

JM Anderson Lancashire 24 16

RJ Sidebottom Notts 29 1