England take 'risk' on Thorpe and Gough

England have gambled on Darren Gough and Graham Thorpe for this winter's Ashes series against Australia.

Yorkshire fast bowler Gough has not played a Test since losing to Australia at The Oval a year ago after being troubled by a knee problem all summer.

But Gough, currently undergoing rehabilitation at Lilleshall, has been included in the 16-man squad subject to him passing a fitness test.

The Surrey left-hander Thorpe took a complete break from cricket earlier this summer following the breakdown of his marriage, prompting speculation his mental state may not be ready for a tough Ashes tour.

But after holding several meetings with Thorpe over the last few weeks, the selectors have gambled on him being ready to return to international cricket and he will fly out with the rest of the squad from Heathrow on October 17.

England chairman of selectors David Graveney said: "We met with Graham on Friday. His private life has received a lot of attention lately but his circumstances in the last few weeks have altered and he expanded on that.

"He was very positive about what he wanted to do and very keen to get back on the international stage.

"We looked at the risk involved when we met on Sunday and we decided to pick Graham. He is, after all, one of our better players."

Asked about Gough's battle for fitness and that of Glamorgan fast bowler Simon Jones, who has been troubled by a rib injury, Graveney said: "His [Gough's] rehabilitation is going very well at Lilleshall.

"Having spoken to Dean Conway today everything is on target for those players [Gough and Jones] to be able to board the plane going to Australia."

Graveney said the decision to exclude Surrey paceman Alex Tudor had been "a close call" but the selectors had decided he would be "better off with the Academy", he told Sky Sports News.

Graveney admitted England were taking a "risk" by including Thorpe in the squad.

"It's a scenario where Graham can only state what he feels at this stage. Risk is the right word. Graham has had a difficult time but he will respond to committing himself to Australia," he said.

"He is at Lilleshall at the present stage and as far as the specialists are concerned he is on target.

"I wouldn't want to be specific about his private life but there has been a change in his private life which has made a huge change in the last couple of weeks. It would be wrong for me to expand. I have noticed a change in him, and people who work with him have expressed the same opinion."

With concerns remaining about Thorpe's fitness, Graveney added: "There has been no pressure put on Surrey or Graham Thorpe for him to play before the end of the season."

Graveney also hinted that the likes of Tudor, named in the Academy squad, could yet be called up.

"If, regrettably, some of the fast bowlers, such as Simon Jones and Darren Gough were injured, then the replacement would be drawn from the Academy," he said.

"We have tried not to name specific replacements as far as batting is concerned. We have a number of options. As far as Andrew Flintoff is concerned, a replacement would be drawn from Craig White or Dominic Cork.

"There are a number of promising young batsman on the county circuit but in the end they weren't knocking the door down."

Graveney insisted it was vital that this touring party got off to a good start Down Under.

"We must stay in the contest and start the series running. We have a habit when we get involved in tours of starting slowly - we have to avoid that."

THE SQUAD

N Hussain (Essex, capt) Age 34 Tests 75
ME Trescothick (Somerset) 26 26
MP Vaughan (Yorkshire) 27 23
MA Butcher (Surrey) 30 45
GP Thorpe (Surrey) 33 77
JP Crawley (Hampshire) 30 34
A Flintoff (Lancashire) 24 21
AJ Stewart (Surrey, wkt) 39 122
JS Foster (Essex, wkt) 22 6
AF Giles (Warwickshire) 29 18
RKJ Dawson (Yorkshire) 22 3
D Gough (Yorkshire) 31 56
AR Caddick (Somerset) 33 57
MJ Hoggard (Yorkshire) 25 15
SJ Harmison (Durham) 23 1
SP Jones (Glamorgan) 23 1