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England said on Wednesday it had called up Middlesex batsman Ed Joyce as the replacement for opening batsman Marcus Trescothick on the Ashes cricket tour of Australia.

Somerset opener Trescothick returned home on Wednesday after a recurrence of his stress-related illness forced him to quit the Australian tour.

Joyce, 28, was promoted from England’s Academy squad, who was to arrive in Perth later yesterday for a five-week training camp, and has yet to play in a Test match.

The left-hander made his international debut in June in a limited overs match against Ireland — his country of birth — and played a further two times in the shortened form of the game during the English summer.

Chairman of selectors David Graveney said, “As we already have other players in the squad who have experience of opening the innings, we have decided to choose a replacement who will be able to cover a number of different positions within the order.

“Ed is a highly promising player who has performed well for Middlesex this season and I am sure he will be delighted to be part of an Ashes squad.”

Joyce will join the Ashes squad in Adelaide on Friday, where England is playing a three-day game against South Australia ahead of the November 23 opening Ashes Test in Brisbane.

Trescothick failed to find form in his two innings on the Australian tour, scoring two against the Prime Minister’s XI and eight against the NSW in the three-day match that finished in a draw here on Tuesday.

The Somerset left-hander failed to return to the field during the NSW second innings with

his England teammates on Tuesday.

Trescothick suffered a stress disorder that forced him to take a complete break to recover during England’s India tour last February and the subsequent English summer.

Source:The News

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