Gough named in provisional squad

Darren Gough: back in the thick of things © Getty Images

Darren Gough is back in the reckoning for one final World Cup appearance, after being named in England's 30-man provisional squad for the ICC Champions Trophy in October.

Gough, 35, last played a one-day international back in July 2005. He seemed to have wrecked any prospects of playing again when he opted out of the tour of Pakistan last December, in favour of taking part in - and winning - the TV talent show, Strictly Come Dancing.

But the failure of England's new crop of bowlers to keep their lines and lengths at the end of an innings has persuaded England's selectors to revert to their tried-and-tested option, a man whose trademark delivery is the reverse-swinging yorker.

"I'm very pleased," Gough told the Essex website. "My performances have been there this season and you can't ignore them. This selection keeps my World Cup dream alive and although I'm realistic and know you have to take one month at a time I hope this will ultimately enable me to go to the World Cup - which has always been my aim."

The squad includes five players who have not played at international level - two young pacemen in Graham Onions and Stuart Broad, two allrounders in Ravi Bopara and Michael Yardy, and the veteran Lancashire batsman, Mal Loye, who toured with the A team as long ago as 1993-94 but has since slipped back in the reckoning. There was no place for another in-form county stalwart, Mark Ramprakash, despite his prolific run of form for Surrey.

The list is pretty much a Who's Who of English one-day prospects, which means that the absence of Worcestershire's Kabir Ali is noteworthy, after his confidence was destroyed by the Sri Lankans in July - his last six overs went for 72 runs. Neither is there any room for England's Man of the Moment, Monty Panesar.

"I'll probably ring him to explain that the door is not completely shut," said England's chairman of selectors, David Graveney, "but for him the best thing is if he concentrates on Test cricket."

Andrew Flintoff is included, despite the likelihood that he will miss the tournament while he recovers from ankle surgery, as are four other players still recovering from injury: James Anderson, Ashley Giles, Ian Blackwell and Liam Plunkett. Andrew Strauss continues as captain.

"The medical advice we have received is that there is a good chance that they will be available for the tournament," explained Graveney, "but we will need to review their progress before the squad has to be reduced to 14 on September 7.

"We have kept faith with the bulk of the squad who appeared against Sri Lanka as we feel there were encouraging individual performances in that series despite the disappointing results overall."

Batsmen Ian Bell (Warwickshire), Alastair Cook (Essex), Ed Joyce (Middlesex), Mal Loye (Lancashire), Kevin Pietersen (Hampshire), Vikram Solanki (Worcestershire), Andrew Strauss (Middlesex, capt), Marcus Trescothick (Somerset)

Allrounders Ian Blackwell (Somerset), Ravi Bopara (Essex), Tim Bresnan (Yorkshire), Andrew Flintoff (Lancashire), Glen Chapple (Lancashire), Rikki Clarke (Surrey), Paul Collingwood (Durham), James Dalrymple (Middlesex), Alex Loudon (Warwickshire), Michael Yardy (Sussex)

Wicketkeepers Geraint Jones (Kent), Chris Read (Notts)

Bowlers James Anderson (Lancashire), Stuart Broad (Leicestershire), Ashley Giles (Warwickshire), Darren Gough (Essex), Stephen Harmison (Durham), Matthew Hoggard (Yorkshire), Jon Lewis (Gloucestershire), Sajid Mahmood (Lancashire), Graham Onions (Durham), Liam Plunkett (Durham).