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Andrew Strauss will take over from injured Andrew Flintoff as England captain for this month’s one-day internationals against Ireland and Sri Lanka.

Flintoff, who captained England in the drawn Test series against Sri Lanka, has been advised to rest from cricket for four weeks before having a left ankle injury re-assessed.

Opener Strauss led the one-day side in two matches in India earlier this year. The selectors on Thursday included five uncapped players in the squad — Tim Bresnan, Glen Chapple, James Dalrymple, Ed Joyce and Alex Loudon.

Batsman Alastair Cook, in the squad after playing in the Test series against Sri Lanka, has yet to make his one-day international debut.

England play Ireland in Belfast on June 13 before taking on Sri Lanka in a Twenty/20 match in Southampton on June 15 and five one-day internationals between June 17 and July 1.

Kabir Ali, Gareth Batty, Matthew Hoggard, Matt Prior, Owais Shah and Vikram Solanki missed selection after touring India with the one-day squad while James Anderson, Ian Blackwell, Ashley Giles and Simon Jones are unavailable because of injury.

England lost the one-day series 5-1 after drawing the Test series against India.

Chairman of selectors David Graveney said Test captain Michael Vaughan, who underwent surgery on his right knee last December, is making good progress.

“We do not want to take any unnecessary risks with Michael and will wait until he is fully match fit before considering him for selection,” Graveney said.

“This will be a tough Test for the team. Our first choice captain is injured and his nominated replacement, Andrew Flintoff, is also unavailable through injury, as are a number of senior players.

“Andrew Strauss will again deputise as captain. He did an excellent job captaining the team in difficult circumstances in India, securing our only win in the series, and will bring his experience of leading Middlesex to the role.”

Graveney said two leading surgeons had agreed that surgery on Flintoff’s ankle would cause more trauma and potential for more scarring and calcified deposits. “Hence our view is that surgery is very much the last resort,” he said.

Squad: Andrew Strauss (captain), Ian Bell, Tim Bresnan, Glen Chapple, Paul Collingwood, Alastair Cook, James Dalrymple, Stephen Harmison, Geraint Jones, Ed Joyce, Alex Loudon, Sajid Mahmood, Kevin Pietersen, Liam Plunkett, Marcus Trescothick.

Schedule:

June 13: Ireland v England, one-day international, Belfast

June 15: England v Sri Lanka, Twenty/20, Rose Bowl, Southampton

June 17: England v Sri Lanka, one-day international, Lord’s

June 20: England v Sri Lanka, one-day international, The Oval

June 24: England v Sri Lanka, one-day international, Riverside, Chester-le-Street

June 28: England v Sri Lanka, one-day international, Old Trafford

July 1: England v Sri Lanka, one-day international, Headingley.

Source:Rediff