Eoin Morgan has been selected ahead of Ravi Bopara in England's squad for the first Test against Sri Lanka in Cardiff.
Morgan given first chance to nail down Test spot against Sri Lanka
Eoin Morgan has been given the nod ahead of Ravi Bopara in England's squad for the first npower Test against Sri Lanka in Cardiff on Thursday.
All of the talk ahead of the squad announcement concerned who would be chosen to replace Paul Collingwood in the Test side, and it was the Middlesex left-hander who has been given the first chance to prove himself.
Morgan pressed his claims by making 193 for England Lions in their ongoing tour match against Sri Lanka in Derby, and he now looks like slotting in at number six for Andrew Strauss' men.
Pace bowler Steve Finn has been selected ahead of Ajmal Shahzad as the fourth pace bowling option along with James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Chris Tremlett.
Kevin Pietersen is also in the squad after recovering from the hernia problem that forced him out of the World Cup on the subcontinent.
Selection
"We believe we have selected a very strong squad for the first Test," said national selector Geoff Miller.
"Eoin Morgan impressed us last summer when he was given his opportunity in the Test side and has worked hard on his game throughout the tour of Australia and now has the opportunity to play a role in the Test team.
"Chris Tremlett had a very encouraging winter after a period of time away from the national side and - alongside Stuart Broad, James Anderson and Steven Finn - offers us a number of options with our pace attack."
The three-match Test series starts in Cardiff on Thursday and it will be England's return to five-day cricket for the first time since their historic Ashes series victory in Australia.
"We are very excited to be back playing cricket on home soil and are focused on building on the momentum we gained during the Ashes last winter," Milleradded. "Which was testament to the hard work that everyone involved put into the series.
"We currently have a talented and ambitious group of players who are committed to becoming the number one ranked side in Test cricket and we are determined to start an important summer strongly, beginning against Sri Lanka in Cardiff."
England squad: AJ Strauss (Middlesex, captain), JM Anderson (Lancashire), IR Bell (Warwickshire), SCJ Broad (Nottinghamshire), AN Cook (Essex), ST Finn (Middlesex), EJG Morgan (Middlesex), KP Pietersen (Surrey), MJ Prior (Sussex), GP Swann (Nottinghamshire), CT Tremlett (Surrey), IJL Trott (Warwickshire)
