All-rounder Ravi Bopara has been recalled to the England squad for the ICC Champions Trophy
England have recalled Essex all-rounder Ravi Bopara for next month’s ICC Champions Trophy.
The 27-year-old, who played one game for Gloucestershire last year, re-joins the squad alongside Yorkshire pace bowler Tim Bresnan who has fully recovered from the elbow injury which kept him out of the tour to New Zealand earlier this year.
Alistair Cook will captain the squad throughout this summer’s tournament which kicks-off in Cardiff on 6 June.
Jos Buttler replaces the injured Craig Kieswetter in the 15-man side
Somerset’s wicketkeeper Jos Buttler has retained his place in the international squad after Craig Kieswetter missed out through injury.
Meanwhile, spinner Graeme Swann has also returned to the international fold after making a successful comeback for Nottinghamshire in their six-wicket defeat to Durham.
The same 15-man squad will also face New Zealand in a three-match one-day series which takes place between 31 May and 5 June.
Six of this summer’s squad were involved in the last ICC Champions Trophy in 2009 which was held in South Africa.
James Anderson, Bopara, Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Eoin Morgan and Swann all featured for England during their last campaign where they lost to winners Australia in the semi-final.
National Selector Geoff Miller said: “We know that the three-match series against New Zealand will be very challenging and we will need to play some very good cricket if we are to repeat the success we had against them earlier this year and build momentum leading into the ICC Champions Trophy.
“The ICC Champions Trophy provides this England squad with a great opportunity to win a global 50-over event – something we have yet to achieve, and we are excited to be playing on home soil.
“We are fully aware that with the best eight sides in world cricket competing against each other we will need to play a very high standard of cricket over a three-week period to give ourselves a chance of winning the title and are very much looking forward to the challenge.”
England Squad for the Natwest ODI Series and ICC Champions Trophy
Alastair Cook [c] (Essex), James Anderson (Lancashire), Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire), Ian Bell (Warwickshire), Ravi Bopara (Essex), Tim Bresnan (Yorkshire), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Jos Buttler [wk] (Somerset), Steven Finn (Middlesex), Eoin Morgan (Middlesex), Joe Root (Yorkshire), Graeme Swann (Nottinghamshire), James Tredwell (Kent), Jonathan Trott (Warwickshire), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire)
Words: Adam Grice
Photos: The Guardian and ICC T20 World Cup
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