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| May 8, 2006 | Monday | Rabi-us-Sani 9, 1427 |
Sajid Mahmood picked in reshaped Test attack
LONDON, May 7: Pace bowler Sajid Mahmood, a cousin of Britain's most exciting young professional boxer Amir Khan, has been selected in a reshaped England squad for the first Test against Sri Lanka starting at Lord's on Thursday.
Mahmood joins Matthew Hoggard, Liam Plunkett, Jon Lewis and Andrew Flintoff in a pace quintet named on Sunday for the opening Test of the season.
The 24-year-old Lancashire fast-medium bowler is the cousin of Olympic lightweight silver medallist Khan.
Lewis, who took nine wickets for England ‘A’ in their 10-wicket win over Sri Lanka, has been included in three Test squads but has yet to win a place in a final 11.
England will take the field without four of the players who helped recapture the Ashes from Australia in last year's unforgettable home series.
Flintoff retains the captaincy in the absence of Michael Vaughan, who is recuperating from a recurring knee injury.
Strike bowlers Steve Harmison and Simon Jones and left-arm spinner Ashley Giles are also injured, as is first choice pace bowling replacement James Anderson.
Left-arm spinner Monty Panesar has been selected ahead of the more experienced Shaun Udal while Alastair Cook, who made a century on his Test debut against India this year, will bat at number three ahead of Ian Bell.
Bell has been retained in the squad in case England decide to play an extra specialist batsman.
Lord's Tests in the English spring give plenty of assistance to pace bowlers, with lavish movement off the pitch and through the air.
Marcus Trescothick, whose return home from India for personal reasons gave Cook his opportunity, returns to the side for the first match in a three-Test series.
Squad: Marcus Trescothick, Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook, Ian Bell, Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, Andrew Flintoff (captain), Geraint Jones, Matthew Hoggard, Liam Plunkett, Jon Lewis, Monty Panesar, Sajid Mahmood. —Reuters
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