Former captain Michael Vaughan was left out of England’s 16-man Ashes training camp squad on Monday.
Vaughan has not played for England since resigning as captain following last year’s third Test against South Africa at Edgbaston, although he has often stressed how he wants to play in the upcoming Ashes.
So far this season Vaughan, England’s 2005 Ashes-winning captain, has done little for Yorkshire to press his claims for a Test recall, scoring only 159 first-class runs at an average of 19.88 in six matches.
Fast bowler Stephen Harmison, who also played in the 2005 series, was also omitted.
Instead his Durham colleague Graham Onions, who made his Test debut in the recent series win over the West Indies, was included, as was Ryan Sidebottom and fellow quicks James Anderson and Stuart Broad.
All-rounder Andrew Flintoff, England’s star of the 2005 Ashes, and Sidebottom were both recalled following injury. Tim Bresnan was included to cover for Flintoff.
The squad also included three slow bowlers — off-spinner Graeme Swann, left-armer Monty Panesar and leg-spinner Adil Rashid, uncapped at Test level.
“Michael Vaughan will, of course, be disappointed not to have been included,” said Geoff Miller, England national selector. “But I met with Michael recently and he understands that he needs to make runs consistently in County cricket if he is to force his way back into the squad.”
England also announced on Monday the team to play Warwickshire in a three-day warm-up match at Edgbaston starting next Wednesday and the Lions or A side that plays Australia in a four-day match that begins on the same day.
Harmison was included in the Lions side to play Australia, where the hosts will be captained by batsman Ian Bell.
Turning to the team to play Warwickshire, he said: “We have chosen two spinners in our side to face Warwickshire. But this does not necessarily mean that we will opt for the same balance in our bowling attack in the first Ashes Test.”
Miller said that as the selectors wanted to give all those playing in the two “trial” matches every chance to press their claims for a Test place, England would announce their Ashes squad on Sunday, July 5 — 24 hours later than originally planned.
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