Mumbai, Sep 18: England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have announced their 16-man Test squad for the four-match series in India in November. The team captained by Alastair Cook does not include Kevin Pietersen and Ravi Bopara.
Two uncapped batsmen, Nick Compton from Somerset and Yorkshire’s Joe Root, have made it to the squad, which also comprises three spinners in Samit Patel, Monty Panesar and Graeme Swann.
Announcing the team, England’s national selector, Geoff Miller said of the two new picks in the Test squad, "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.
"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."
Pietersen, who was dropped from the final Test of the home series against South Africa due to off-field controversies, has failed to make it back to the team.
ECB Managing Director - England Cricket, Hugh Morris, said of Pietersen’s exclusion, "Both ECB and England team management have had meetings with Kevin Pietersen to address the issues which 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."
The selectors have also named a 17-strong England Performance Programme squad, which will undertake a month-long tour of India from mid-November and a seven-strong squad for next month's Hong Kong Sixes tournament, which will be captained by Leicestershire batsman Josh Cobb.
England Test Squad to tour India
Alastair Cook (captain), 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
England Performance Programme Squad to tour India
Jos Buttler, Gary Ballance, Scott Borthwick, Danny Briggs, Varun Chopra, Matthew Coles, Jade Dernbach, Ben Foakes, James Harris, Simon Kerrigan, Craig Kieswetter, Stuart Meaker, Azeem Rafiq, Toby Roland-Jones, Ben Stokes, James Taylor, Chris Wright (Warwickshire)
