'Jack' Russell offers to come out of retirement for Ashes challenge

'Jack' Russell has offered to come out of his retirement from Test cricket for the remainder of the Ashes series.

"If the England selectors want me to come back for one, two or three Tests against the Australians this summer, then I would love to help," the Gloucestershire man said.

"I couldn't contemplate returning to the team on a long-term basis - not only because of my age, but because I have many other commitments," he told the Daily Mail newspaper.

"I would certainly not want to be playing international cricket all year round again."

The selectors are unlikely to take Russell up on his offer. Alec Stewart kept well at Lord's and if a change is made, it will probably be in a more youthful direction.

Russell is now 37-years-old and though he has proved himself a top quality performer - his batting average against Australia of 32.58 is better than Stewart's 27.69 - England's policy of consistency of selection has paid dividends in recent months.

But Russell believes it is his style of wicketkeeping that could unsettle the Australian batsmen.

"Now I am an offensive wicket-keeper, rather than a defensive one," he explained. "I have learned the value of standing up to the stumps in one-day games. That's not just to the slow and medium pacers, but to our quicks as well.

"I have learned just what an effect it can have on batsmen and it strangles their strokeplay."