Test and one-day captain Andrew Strauss was omitted from the provisional 30-man England squad announced here Monday for the ICC World Twenty20 in June. Middlesex opening batsman Strauss does not feel his game is suited to the Twenty20 format, where he has played just four matches, and which puts the emphasis on powerful boundary-hitting rather than the patient accumulation of runs for which the left-hander is well known.
Tournament hosts England have delayed naming their captain for the event, with the likes of Kent batsman Robert Key and Dimitri Mascarehnas in line to lead the team. Strauss took over the England captaincy after Kevin Pietersen, who is in the Twenty20 squad, was stripped of the position following problems during the tour of India late last year which cost Peter Moores his post as England coach.
Geoff Miller, Englands national selector, explained Strausss omission by saying here on Monday: "Andrew Strauss had an outstanding tour of the West Indies during a difficult winter. "Andrew and the selectors believe his game is better suited to Test and one-day international cricket and it is for that reason he has not been selected in the preliminary 30-man squad for the forthcoming ICC World Twenty20," the former England off-spinner added.
"Andrew is focused on the Test and ODI format of the game despite not being included in the 30-man Twenty20 squad. "The selectors have decided against naming a captain for the ICC World Twenty20 at this stage because we feel it is important to comprehensively review the recent tour of the Caribbean and seek input from all relevant parties including the incoming England team director who is yet to be appointed. "Once these processes have been achieved the selectors will name Englands Twenty20 captain in due course."
Since Mooress departure, England have had no permanent coach with assistant coach Andy Flower, the former Zimbabwe international, in caretaker charge. Off-spinner Shaun Udal, who turned 40 last month, was included as was Samit Patel, despite recently being left out of the Twenty20 and one-day matches in the West Indies after failing to "reach acceptable standards of fitness for international cricket.".
All-rounder Andrew Flintoff and fast bowler Stephen Harmison were also in a squad which featured five players yet to be capped by England in Kent batsman Joe Denly from Kent, the big-hitting Graham Napier, a star for Essex in domestic Twenty20, Middlesexs former Ireland international Eoin Morgan, Yorkshire leg-spinner Adil Rashid and Warwickshire seam bowler Chris Woakes.
England failed to reach the knockout stages in the inaugural World Twenty20 in South Africa two years ago, where India beat Pakistan in the final. They will, in common with all the other teams, have to cut their squad to 15 by May 1 for the tournament itself which starts on June 5.
England 30-man squad for the ICC World Twenty20, June 5-21: Kabir Ali, James Anderson, Gareth Batty, Ian Bell, Ravi Bopara, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Paul Collingwood, Steven Davies (wkt), Joe Denly, James Foster (wkt), Andrew Flintoff, Stephen Harmison, Robert Key, Sajid Mahmood, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Eoin Morgan, Graham Napier, Samit Patel, Kevin Pietersen, Liam Plunkett, Matthew Prior (wkt), Adil Rashid, Owais Shah, Ryan Sidebottom, Graeme Swann, Chris Tremlett, Shaun Udal, Chris Woakes, Luke Wright.
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