Gough Recalled in New-look One-day Squad

Darren Gough today won a dramatic recall for England after being named in a new-look 13-man squad to compete in the forthcoming three-match series with Pakistan and the triangular tournament featuring Zimbabwe and South Africa.

The Yorkshire fast bowler's international career has been disrupted for the past 18 months with a series of knee problems which have restricted him to only five one-day internationals since first suffering the problem against New Zealand in Dunedin in February last year.

But after making a return at the start of the season for Yorkshire, which was briefly interrupted by a hamstring problem, he has convinced the selectors to include him in a squad which features six players who are yet to play at one-day international level as England begin building for the next World Cup in four years time.

"It's our clear intention now to develop a strong nucleus of players who, we believe, will be approaching their peak come the West Indies in 2007," explained chairman of selectors David Graveney today.

"Darren Gough's inclusion is clearly an exception to this rule, but he's a proven match-winner who was badly missed during the World Cup and his inclusion will add experience to our bowling attack.

"As well as providing a strike-bowling capacity, we also believe Darren can play an important role in passing on advice to the younger bowlers within the squad."

Gough, however, will not be joined for the month of one-day cricket by Yorkshire colleague Matthew Hoggard, who is due to go for a scan today which is expected to reveal he has torn knee ligaments after limping out of yesterday's C&G Trophy defeat at Worcester.

Yorkshire captain Anthony McGrath has been included, though, despite suffering a side strain on his Test debut against Zimbabwe at Lord's last week and is expected to be fit enough to make the second Test squad this weekend.

England have also included injured wicketkeeper Chris Read, who broke his right thumb during Nottinghamshire's National League victory over Sussex at Horsham on Sunday, although Essex's James Foster will remain on stand-by if he is ruled out because of the injury.

"The medical advice we have received is that this is an undisplaced fracture and it will take him about three weeks to recover," explained Graveney.

"Chris received an excellent report from the Academy during the winter, his game has clearly progressed with both bat and ball and gloves and we believe he can now fulfil the potential shown at international level earlier in his career."

Worcestershire batsman Vikram Solanki is also recalled three years after his last one-day international while Kabir Ali, Rikki Clarke, Robert Key, Richard Johnson, McGrath and Jim Troughton are all in contention to earn their first one-day international caps.

"The bulk of this squad is under 30 years old and has been chosen with the next World Cup firmly in mind," stressed Graveney.

"We're anticipating two tough series this summer but we believe that now is the right time for us to look at younger players and give them an opportunity to develop on the international stage.

"We did consider a number of more senior players and we have not drawn a line against any particular individuals."

Those could include notable absentees like Surrey captain Adam Hollioake, who was a part of England's one-day squad in Australia but overlooked for the World Cup squad, and Sussex's James Kirtley.

The squad in full Michael Vaughan (Yorkshire, capt), Kabir Ali (Worcestershire), Jimmy Anderson (Lancashire), Rikki Clarke (Surrey), Andy Flintoff (Lancashire), Ashley Giles (Warwickshire), Darren Gough (Yorkshire), Steve Harmison (Durham), Richard Johnson (Somerset), Robert Key (Kent), Anthony McGrath (Yorkshire), Chris Read (Nottinghamshire, wkt), Vikram Solanki (Worcestershire), Marcus Trescothick (Somerset), Jim Troughton (Warwickshire).