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Kevin Pietersen has been left out of England's Test squad for the tour of India while Joe Root and Nick Compton
have been called up. Eoin Morgan has also been recalled and Monty
Panesar is one of three spinners alongside Graeme Swann and Samit Patel.
Talks between Pietersen and the ECB remain ongoing although the batsman
is currently in Sri Lanka working as a TV pundit during the World
Twenty20. Last week Pietersen was not handed a central contract, a clear
indication that problems still exists although he can be offered one at
any time in the future.
Hugh Morris, the managing director of England cricket, said: "Both ECB
and England team management have had meetings with Kevin Pietersen to
address the issues that led to his omission from the final Investec Test
match against South Africa. These discussions remain private and
confidential and, as there are issues still to be resolved, Kevin has
not been considered for selection for the India tour."
In the absence of Pietersen and the retired Andrew Strauss, England's
batting order is inexperienced. That is likely to have been one of the
reasons for Morgan's recall despite very little success in first-class
cricket since he was dropped from the Test side following the series
against Pakistan in the UAE.
Compton and Root could well be vying for one place in the line-up,
depending on how Andy Flower and Alastair Cook decide to balance the
team. Compton was the leading run-scorer during the 2012 English season
with 1494 runs and was within touching distance of making 1000 runs
before the end of May.
Root, 21, who was named the Cricket Writers' Club Young Cricketer on
Monday, had been tipped for a place on the tour squad having been a
regular in the England Lions set-up over the last 12 months, where he
has impressed batting coach Graham Thorpe. He scored 964 first-class
runs in the season with a best of 222 against Hampshire.
"Nick Compton has performed well consistently for Somerset in county
cricket this season, made big hundreds and shown that he has the
temperament and the technique to play at a higher level," Geoff Miller,
the national selector, said. "Joe Root is a player who has been
successful at every level from county cricket through to EPP and England
Lions, and he deserves this opportunity to step up to the next level
and press his case for a place in the Test side. "
The two notable omissions in the batting department are Ravi Bopara and
James Taylor, who both played Tests during the recent series against
South Africa. Bopara withdrew from the second Test at Headingley due to
personal problems, which handed Taylor his debut. He returned for the
one-day matches against South Africa but has suffered a horror run of
form and is unlikely to make the starting XI in the World Twenty20. He
does not even feature in the Performance squad that will be based in
India at the same time as the Test party.
Taylor, though, does have the compensation of a spot with the
Performance players who will be the first in line for a call-up should
injury or illness strike.
The bowling line-up is largely as expected, with Panesar again preferred
as the support, or back-up, to Swann despite a difficult time in Sri
Lanka earlier this year. James Tredwell, the Kent offspinner, was
another option after solid performances in recent one-day matches.
Patel, who made his Test debut in Sri Lanka, provides an option to
balance the side at No. 7.
The first Test against India starts in Ahmedabad on November 15.
Squad Alastair Cook (capt) James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Ian
Bell, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Nick Compton, Steven Finn, Graham
Onions, Eoin Morgan, Monty Panesar, Samit Patel, Matt Prior, Joe Root,
Graeme Swann, Jonathan Trott
Andrew McGlashan is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo
Feeds: Andrew McGlashan
© ESPN EMEA Ltd.
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