England yesterday offered Mark Butcher the chance to belatedly break his way into the one-day side, despite omitting the Test batsman from their 30-strong provisional ICC Champions Trophy party.

Surrey left-hander Butcher has curiously never played for England in the shortened form of the game but has earned 69 caps in establishing himself as an integral part of the Test team's success.

Following a dismal NatWest Series for Michael Vaughan's team over the past fortnight, a greater representation from the Test side was expected in future limited-overs squads.

While paceman Simon Jones was included, however, Butcher's name was conspicuous by its absence.

Chairman of selectors David Graveney explained: ''Mark previously intimated that he did not want to play both forms of international cricket because he was concerned about the impact on his fitness.

''However, he has recently indicated that he would now like to be considered for our one-day side and as the season progresses we will be watching with interest his performances for Surrey in the Twenty20 Cup and the totesport League.''

Indeed, concerns over preserving fitness for five-day cricket scuppered the 31-year-old's chances in 2002, following an operation to clean up an injured knee between home Test series against Sri Lanka and India.

Butcher chose the interim, during which that summer's NatWest Series took place, to undergo the surgery so as not to jeopardise his prospects of featuring in the Ashes the following winter.

Since that time he has been solely considered for Tests, a pigeon-holing which has made him appear in semi-retirement and one which he has often gone along with.

''It was more a mechanism put in place to not be horribly disappointed by not being picked, rather than actively not wanting to play,'' said Butcher. ''I had never actually been asked 'do you want to play in this team?'

''I think the summer of 2002 was possibly a time when I might have got a game but since then it hasn't really crept up. And if it doesn't it is not the end of the world.

''But they have now expressed an interest in me playing one-day cricket.''

Butcher, ironically recalled from the international outback to take on the Australians in 2001 after the selectors witnessed a dashing 84 against Nottinghamshire in a Benson & Hedges Cup semi-final, was phoned by Vaughan ahead of this season's Twenty20 tournament to suggest he may get an opportunity to pull on England's blue and red as well as the traditional white.

His response has been 148 runs in three innings, spanning just 101 balls.

''It has been good because, having been spoken to about the one-day team, it gave me a little bit of focus,'' said Butcher, who incurred a thigh tear in the latter of those three knocks, an unbeaten 60 against Kent last Friday.

He has pulled out of the MCC's three-day match against the West Indians, which begins today at Arundel, as a result but hopes to return for Surrey's one-day assignment against Kent this weekend.

Meanwhile, England retained all 15 of the players given a go in the recent triangular tournament in their provisional plans for September's ICC 'mini-World Cup'.

Ten players uncapped at limited-overs level were also among the group, to be stripped down to 14 names by August 10.

Glamorgan's Jones and Yorkshire off-spinner Richard Dawson have both played Test cricket for England but not made their bows at the shorter format.

The other eight individuals are Warwickshire batting duo Ian Bell and Mark Wagh, Gloucestershire pair Alex Gidman and Jon Lewis, Essex all-rounder Graham Napier, Jones' county colleagues Michael Powell and Alex Wharf and Hampshire's Chris Tremlett.

''Our ultimate goal as selectors is to build a side for the World Cup in 2007 and the make-up of this squad gives a good indication as to the type of team we are looking to develop and the particular roles we are looking to fill within it,'' said David Graveney.

''We will continue to experiment with new players as we seek the right blend between experience and youth ahead of 2007.

''Choosing 30 players is a far harder task than picking 14 and I would stress that this is by no means a definitive or exhaustive list.''

Three tourists from last winter return to recognition after being overlooked this summer in the shape of wicketkeeper Chris Read, Vikram Solanki and James Kirtley.