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England’s selectors included uncapped pace bowlers Sajid Mahmood and Jon Lewis in their 13-man squad for next week’s first Test against Sri Lanka here at Lord’s. It was the first time that Sajid, the cousin of British boxing sensation Amir Khan, had been included in a Test squad. Lewis, who has been chosen in three Test squads before without winning a place in the starting line-up, was rewarded for his nine-wicket haul for England A during their 10-wicket victory over Sri Lanka concluded on Saturday. Injuries ruling out England quicks Stephen Harmison (shin), Simon Jones (knee) and James Anderson (back), possibly for the whole of the three-match series in all cases, have led to Sajid and Lewis’s selection alongside that of Durham seamer Liam Plunkett and the experienced Matthew Hoggard. And with England captain Michael Vaughan still out with a knee injury, pace bowling all-rounder Andrew Flintoff, a Lancashire team-mate of Sajid, had been given the captaincy after leading the team to a drawn series in India. “With three of our pace bowlers, James Anderson, Simon Jones and Stephen Harmison all unavailable, this is a real opportunity for Sajid Mahmood, Liam Plunkett and Jon Lewis to press their case for inclusion on a regular basis,” Graveney said. Graveney also praised Flintoff’s leadership skills, saying: “ Flintoff did an outstanding job as captain in difficult circumstances in India with a young team and he will lead the side again while Michael Vaughan continues with his rehabilitation from injury.” England squad: Andrew Flintoff (captain), Ian Bell, Paul Collingwood, Alastair Cook, Matthew Hoggard, Geraint Jones (w/k), Jon Lewis, Sajid Mahmood, Monty Panesar, Kevin Pietersen, Liam Plunkett, Andrew Strauss and Marcus Trescothick.

Source:The News

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