Bopara replaces Vaughan

Published August 5, 2008

LONDON, Aug 4: Ravi Bopara has replaced Michael Vaughan in the England squad for the fourth and final Test against South Africa, the ECB said on Monday.

Vaughan made himself unavailable for the final Test, starting on Thursday at The Oval, when resigning as captain on Sunday, saying he needed a break.

Essex batsman Bopara is back in the squad for the first time since last December when he made his only three previous Test appearances in Sri Lanka.

The 23-year-old, who hit 42 runs in five innings for England in Sri Lanka, has a batting average of 63 in the county championship with Essex this season.

Bopara will play under Kevin Pietersen, who was named on Monday as the new captain of England’s Test and one-day sides.

As well as the Test squad, the England selectors also announced a 15-man squad for the one-day series and Twenty 20 matches against South Africa.

Uncapped Nottinghamshire batsman Samit Patel, 23, has been included and there was a recall for Sussex wicket-keeper Matt Prior, who has not featured for either the one-day or Twenty20 side since September last year.

Test squad: Kevin Pietersen (captain), Tim Ambrose, James Anderson, Ian Bell, Ravi Bopara, Stuart Broad, Alastair Cook, Paul Collingwood, Andrew Flintoff, Steve Harmison, Monty Panesar, Ryan Sidebottom, Andrew Strauss.

One-day squad: Kevin Pietersen (captain), James Anderson, Ian Bell, Ravi Bopara, Stuart Broad, Alastair Cook, Paul Collingwood, Andrew Flintoff, Samit Patel, Matt Prior, Owais Shah, Ryan Sidebottom, Graeme Swann, Chris Tremlett, Luke Wright.—Reuters

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