Solanki Recalled, Bell Ignored

The England selectors have resisted calls to select Warwickshire's in-form batting allrounder Ian Bell in their 14-man one-day squad for September's NatWest Challenge and ICC Champions Trophy.

Instead, there are recalls for the Worcestershire trio of Kabir Ali, who won his only Test cap last August against South Africa at Headingley, the off-spinner Gareth Batty and the opening batsman Vikram Solanki, who played the last of his 21 one-day internationals against Bangladesh in November.

The Yorkshire allrounder Anthony McGrath keeps his place, despite failing to make an impact during the recent NatWest Series, but two other bits-and-pieces players - Surrey's Rikki Clarke and Ian Blackwell of Somerset - have been quietly dropped.

As for Bell, 22, it might be that the selectors will wait until the winter series in South Africa to blood him. Because for the time being results are very much the priority.

Meanwhile, Robert Key's reputation as a batsman more suited to the sedate pace of Test cricket is confirmed by his absence from the squad, which will play three games against India at the start of next month before moving on to the Champions Trophy, often referred to as the mini-World Cup.

"Robert Key has struggled with the rhythm needed to play the one-day game," said David Graveney, the England chairman of selectors. "We feel this is the right squad of people to play."

The 33-year-old Darren Gough continues to defy the ageing process, but overall the squad has a more sprightly feel to it than the one that lumbered round outfields during the NatWest Series.

"As a result of the NatWest Series this summer, the selectors spent a long time looking at our options," explained Graveney.

"Firstly because we didn't do ourselves justice earlier this season and secondly because there are various options available to us with a number of young players on the fringes of the squad.

"The selectors discussed at length the way we want to play and we identified a need for more depth in our batting and an increase in mobility in our fielding.

"So we have recalled Vikram Solanki because he gives us options at the top of the order and is an outstanding fielder. He's been in fine form for his county in both forms of the game.

"Gareth Batty and Kabir Ali have also been in good form for Worcestershire and they give us options down the order - we're playing at the back end of the season and we may find ourselves on used wickets, so Batty gives us an extra spinning option."

The recall of Solanki, who faded badly after taking a century off South Africa at The Oval last June, could mean a drop down the order for Michael Vaughan, who averages only 24 when opening for England in the one-day game.

The squad in full: MP Vaughan (Yorkshire, capt) Age 20 ODIs 49, Kabir Ali (Worcestershire) 23 1, JM Anderson (Lancashire) 22 36, GJ Batty (Worcestershire) 26 5, PD Collingwood (Durham) 28 52, A Flintoff (Lancashire) 27 74, AF Giles (Warwickshire) 31 37, D Gough (Essex) 33 131, SJ Harmison (Durham) 25 16, GO Jones (Kent, wkt) 28 5, A McGrath (Yorkshire) 28 13, VS Solanki (Worcestershire) 28 21, AJ Strauss (Middlesex) 27 11, ME Trescothick (Somerset) 28 85.