Harmison, Panesar and Bopara axed by England

LONDON, (Reuters) – Fast bowler Steve Harmison,  left-arm spinner Monty Panesar and batsman Ravi Bopara were left  out of the England squad named yesterday for the tour of South  Africa.  

Batsman Kevin Pietersen was included in the 16-man test  squad despite still recovering from the Achilles tendon  operation which sidelined him for part of the Ashes series  victory over Australia.  

Three uncapped players were named in the test squad, Surrey  wicketkeeper Steven Davies, Yorkshire leg-spinner Adil Rashid  and Sussex all-rounder Luke Wright.  

Seamer Liam Plunkett was recalled to the test squad for the  first time since 2007 at the expense of his Durham team mate  Harmison who has taken 226 wickets 63 tests and was the world’s  top-ranked bowler in 2004.  

Harmison, 30, took three wickets in Australia’s second  innings in the deciding final Ashes test and excelled for Durham  last season but selector Geoff Miller said he did not merit a  place against the world’s top-ranked side at test level. “Stephen Harmison has not been included in the test squad  because we feel his form has not been consistent enough over the  past 12 months to justify a regular place in the side and we  want to give an opportunity to other players to make a case for  selection,” Miller said in an England and Wales Cricket Board  (ECB) statement. Bopara became only the fifth Englishman to notch up three  consecutive test centuries during the back-to-back series  against West Indies this year and seemed to have earned the  pivotal number three slot in the side.    

CONFIDENCE VANISHED

However, his form and confidence vanished against Australia  and he managed a top score of only 45 before being left out of  the final test at the Oval.  

“It’s tough,” Miller told reporters. “Some great players  have been through that situation where they’ve started well and  then gone through a tough time and then gone away and  resurrected their techniques and come back and I’ve no doubt  that Ravi will be on of those. He’s a quality player.”  

Panesar’s reputation as a match-winner has been on the wane  since he burst on to the scene in India in 2006 and he was  dropped after the first drawn test against Australia in Cardiff. “Monty Panesar has struggled to find his best form this  summer but he will play domestic first-class cricket in South  Africa over the winter and we will continue to monitor his  progress closely,” Miller said.  

With Andrew Flintoff now retired from test cricket and  unavailable for the one-day squad because of knee surgery,  Miller said it was a chance for somebody to fill the hole left  by the all-rounder. “While we do not see Luke Wright as a like for like  replacement for Andrew, we are excited by the way in which his  all-round game continues to develop and believe he can make an  impact at test level,” Miller said. South Africa-born Pietersen is expected to join up with the  squad after the Twenty20 internationals and should be available  for the one-day series which starts on Nov. 20.  

England’s first match in the four-test series against the  world’s top-ranked test playing country begins on Dec. 16 at  Centurion. England won their last test series in South Africa 2-1 but  lost at home to Graeme Smith’s side in 2008.