Read out for three weeks

Over the weekend the prospects of Chris Read being named as the successor to Alec Stewart as England's wicketkeeper as soon as the second Test were being talked up in many newspapers. But on Sunday Read damaged his hand during Nottinghamshire's National League game against Sussex, and an X-ray has revealed that he has broken his thumb.

That rules him out of contention for the Chester-le-Street Test, as well as making him extremely doubtful for inclusion in the squad for the matches against Pakistan and the NatWest Series which is announced on Thursday (May 29).

"It's really bad luck for Chris, because he's made an excellent start to the season," Mick Newell, Nottinghamshire's director of cricket told the BBC. "I believe if he was fit he would have been named as England wicketkeeper. I hope once the thumb heals he will be involved in the national set-up."