England issue Prior warning

Matthew Prior finished the 2008 season with England in wonderful style but his impressive displays in the one-day series against South Africa have not guaranteed him a place in Kevin Pietersen's Test side.


Prior's athletic wicketkeeping and convincing batting embodied Pietersen's new, vibrant England. His game stood in stark contrast to that of Tim Ambrose, the man who currently occupies the position Prior desperately wants to make his own, a place in England's Test side. Both players have been offered incremental – second-tier – central contracts and yesterday both were named in England's 15-man squad for the two-Test, pre-Christmas tour of India.

Ambrose's poor summer with the bat – 167 runs at an average of 18.6 in seven Tests – encouraged everyone to believe that Prior would travel as first-choice keeper, but Geoff Miller, the chief selector, refused to confirm this on naming his squad. "Matt Prior has enjoyed an impressive domestic season with Sussex and, having re-established himself in the England one-day side, he will now compete with Tim Ambrose for the position of Test wicketkeeper," Miller said. "They both go there [for the India Test series] on an equal footing. The decision as to who plays will be made by the captain and coach once conditions have been taken in to consideration. Matt remains our first-choice keeper in the one-day game, but Tim will join the one-day squad in India as reserve wicketkeeper for the duration of the one-day series."

As contentious was the decision of the selectors to omit James Foster, the Essex stumper, from both the full Test and performance programme squad tours of India. Wicketkeepers tend to be judged for their batting as much as their glovework these days and Foster has excelled in both this year. In all domestic competitions the 28-year-old was the second-highest run-scorer among the keepers, accumulating 1,544 runs. Prior, with 1,795, was the most successful while Steven Davies amassed 1,490. "It's disappointing because I feel I've had a good season with the bat and gloves in all forms of the game," Foster said. "In general, I feel I've been very consistent over the last four to five seasons and my skills are improving all the time. That doesn't seem to be enough for the selectors, so I'll keep plugging away."

In the absence of Michael Vaughan the selectors showed faith in Owais Shah, picking the Middlesex batsman ahead of Ravi Bopara. Shah has continued to flourish in one-day cricket and has played several classy innings in the past 12 months. But, as with all current cricketers, it is in the Test arena that he wants to shine.

Returning to India will bring back pleasant memories for Shah. It was there 30 months ago that he made his Test debut in Mumbai, scoring a wonderful 88 in his maiden innings. The performance suggested he would spend much of the next two and a half years in the Test side but he has played only one match since. In that Test, which came after a 14-month wait, nerves and an almost desperate desire to impress got the better of him and he totalled only 10 runs.

Shah is now a far more settled man. He also has the backing of Pietersen, the England captain, who moved him up to three and spoke very positively about his ability during the recent one-day series against South Africa.

"I was a little worried about being overlooked for Ravi," Shah said. "But maybe the runs I scored in India before counted in my favour. I know I am the spare batter, but I'm one step closer to being in the Test team. Hopefully, I can impress in the one-day series and put the Test batsmen under some sort of pressure."

Commenting on Shah's selection, Miller said: "Our decision to pick Owais Shah was based on the fact that he is an excellent player of spin who played a superb innings in India on his Test debut two years ago. It's a further opportunity for him to build on his success with the one-day side this year and his inclusion in the squad will create real competition for places."

The other selection worthy of mention was that of Graeme Swann, the only uncapped player in the squad. Swann was picked ahead of Adil Rashid, Yorkshire's talented, leg-spinning all-rounder. Rashid, who was the joint second-highest wicket-taker – with Stephen Harmison – in first-class cricket this summer with 65 scalps, can consider himself unfortunate. Swann is the safer option but it can only be a matter of time before the selectors give Rashid a chance.

"The inclusion of Graeme Swann as off-spinner provides us with a right-arm/left-arm slow bowling combination which we believe can be effective in India," Miller said.

The England Test squad may have been filled with familiar faces but there were plenty of fresh ones named in the performance programme squad, who will be in India at the same time as the Test team.

Kent supply the performance squad with four players, Joe Denly, Robbie Joseph and Amjad Khan being the ones that catch the eye. Sussex's highly rated spinner Ollie Rayner will benefit from bowling in Indian conditions, while Worcestershire's opener Stephen Moore gets a deserved chance.