England have called upon the experience of county stalwart Ryan Sidebottom to add accuracy and control to their attack for this week's second Test against West Indies.
Durham's Graham Onions, who had an eight wicket haul at Edgbaston last week, was in the frame for a call-up but the selectors have opted for the 29-year-old left-arm seamer. The Nottinghamshire player has the ability to swing the ball and find a good line and length - basic attributes sadly missing from England's seamers during the drawn opening Test at Lord's.
But with Matthew Hoggard sidelined with a thigh problem, Sidebottom's traditional values have attracted the selectors into recalling him six years after his only previous Test appearance.
He will battle it out with Durham's Liam Plunkett and Lancashire's James Anderson for a place in the starting line-up, but the very fact he offers better control than either his rivals should mark him down as a marginal favourite.
Sidebottom has been included in a 13-man squad which will be captained by Michael Vaughan, who has been passed fit following a broken finger and has replaced Middlesex batsman Owais Shah.
All-rounder Andrew Flintoff remains a doubt with his ankle problem but has been included in the squad to give coach Peter Moores a chance to assess his fitness to bowl over two practice days today and tomorrow.
But if Flintoff fails to prove his fitness - he has not bowled since feeling discomfort in his problematic left ankle against Hampshire the weekend before the Lord's Test - Sidebottom's accuracy could prove crucial if England are to emerge successful from Headingley.
''I think they're looking for some control in this Test,'' confirmed Mick Newell, Nottinghamshire's director of cricket.
''In the last Test match, the run-rate they were scoring at was pretty high and I'm sure Ryan will offer some control and get that run-rate down.
''He is also different as a left-arm seamer and I think he also bowls at left-handers, so I think he's got three or four things going in his favour."
With doubts remaining about Flintoff's ability to bowl in the Test and both Steve Harmison and Plunkett being particularly wayward at Lord's, newcomers were inevitable for this Test squad. New coach Peter Moores' knowledge of the county circuit has already paid dividends with the call-up of Matt Prior at Lord's, who immediately responded with a debut century.
England squad: MP Vaughan (Yorkshire, capt) Age 32 Tests 64, AJ Strauss (Middlesex) 30 37, AN Cook (Essex) 22 15, IR Bell (Warwickshire) 25 24, KP Pietersen (Hampshire) 26 24, PD Collingwood (Durham) 30 21, A Flintoff (Lancashire) 29 66, MJ Prior (Sussex, wkt) 25 1, SJ Harmison (Durham) 28 50, LE Plunkett (Durham) 22 7, MS Panesar (Northamptonshire) 25 14, JM Anderson (Lancashire) 24 16, RJ Sidebottom (Nottinghamshire) 29 1.
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