LAHORE, Dec 5: Opener Andrew Strauss will rejoin the England team on Tuesday to take part in the five-match one-day series against Pakistan starting with the first at Qadhafi Stadium on Sunday. Strauss had returned home to attend the birth of his first child and missed the third and final Test at Lahore which England lost by an innings and 100 runs and also lost the series 2-0.

Marcus Trescothick, the stand-in captain of England in place of Michael Vaughan, said that Strauss’s inclusion would definitely boost the morale of the team ahead of the one-day series.

Strauss’s wife had a baby boy on Sunday night.

Trescothick said he had no information about Vaughan rejoining the team. He returned home on Sunday to seek medical advice on his injured right knee due to which he had to miss the first Test at Multan.

Trescothick admitted that winning the one-day series was a big challenge for England after losing the Test series. But he was sure his side had the potential to perform better.

“It was disappointing but we are quite able to prepare ourselves quickly to make sure that we have the potential to play well,” Trescothick said.

He said that England had to play a a warm-up match on Dec 7 and hopefully that match would help them in preparing for the One-day series.

He said that England were keen to win the one-day competition to keep up the morale till the World Cup (2007).

England have included Vikram Solanki, paceman Kabir Ali and all-rounder Ian Blackwell for the one-day series.

If Vaughan is unavailable, Ian Bell will replace him in the ODI squad.