Gough back in the reckoning for Caribbean

After missing out on the tours to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, Darren Gough has been given a chance to stake his claim for a place in England's one-day squad for the Caribbean, after being invited to join a training session with England's other one-day specialists at Loughborough next month.

Gough, 33, retired from Test cricket mid-way through last summer's series against South Africa, because of a long-term knee injury that could not stand up to the rigours of five-day matches. But he still has plenty to offer in ODIs, and was Man of the Match in his most recent international, the NatWest Series final at Lord's last July. He recently joined Essex from Yorkshire in a bid for a fresh start to his career.

After being overlooked for the first half of England's winter campaign, Gough will undergo an initial assessment by the ECB medical team at the National Academy at Loughborough in the next few days. He is then scheduled to link up with other members of England's ODI squad for a two-day training camp at the ECB National Academy on March 9 and 10.

"Having reviewed our one-day performances in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, and bearing in mind the busy international programme in the next six months, we are conscious of the fact that we may need to rest our younger bowlers and rotate the seamers accordingly," said England's chairman of selectors, David Graveney, who had been the subject of heavy criticism from Gough in an interview with a Sunday newspaper last month.

"Darren will bring considerable experience to the squad if selected," added Graveney. "We want to assess his form and fitness before deciding whether he should fill one of the two vacancies we currently have for seam bowlers in our one-day squad to the Caribbean."

England's Test squad flies out to the Caribbean next Wednesday to begin a four-Test tour, which will be followed by seven ODIs.