England name one-day squad

Tim Ambrose is set to make his ODI debut against New Zealand © Getty Images

The England selectors today announced a 14-man squad under the captaincy of Paul Collingwood for the NatWest Series and NatWest International Twenty20 against New Zealand.

The squad contains 14 members of the 16-man party which toured New Zealand earlier this year, winning both T20 internationals but losing the one-day series 3-1.

Warwickshire’s Tim Ambrose, who made his Test debut in New Zealand, is the only player uncapped at ODI level named in the squad and he will take over the wicketkeeping duties from Durham’s Phil Mustard. Kent off-spinner James Tredwell is the other player to miss out.

National Selector Geoff Miller said: “In choosing these players, we were keen to show consistency with the nucleus of the squad from the winter and give further opportunities to individuals who we feel are likely to be an important part of our plans as we build towards the ICC World 2020 event in England next summer and the next ICC Cricket World Cup.

“Tim Ambrose has already shown that he has the temperament and the ability required to succeed in Test cricket and his selection reflects our desire to use the same wicketkeeper in both the long and short forms of the game.

“Phil Mustard will, of course, be disappointed not to have been selected on this occasion but he remains a player of terrific potential and we will continue to monitor his performances closely along with a number of other wicketkeepers in domestic cricket.

The England medical team will judge when is best for Andrew Flintoff to return to international action

“We are aware of the need to identify a player who can take over the opener’s role from Phil and play in a positive manner at the start of the innings. We do have a number of options available within the squad and we will make a final decision as to who will fulfil this role once we have had further discussions with the captain and coach prior to the start of the series.

“Andrew Flintoff is still recovering from a side strain and we would prefer to wait until he is 100 per cent fit before considering him for selection. We will be guided by the England medical team as to when the best time would be for him to return to international cricket. His rehabilitation is progressing well at present and we are optimistic that he will be available for selection later in the summer.”

England one-day squad:

Paul Collingwood (Durham, captain)
Tim Ambrose (Warwickshire)
James Anderson (Lancashire)
Ian Bell (Warwickshire)
Ravi Bopara (Essex)
Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire)
Alastair Cook (Essex)
Dimitri Mascarenhas (Hampshire)
Kevin Pietersen (Hampshire)
Owais Shah (Middlesex)
Ryan Sidebottom (Nottinghamshire)
Graeme Swann (Nottinghamshire)
Chris Tremlett (Hampshire)
Luke Wright (Sussex)