Thanks Colin and gold639.
England announce touring party for the Zimbabwe ODI Series
The England selectors have announced the One-Day squad to tour Zimbabwe.
The ECB also confirmed that the one-day squad will undertake a short tour of Namibia prior to their trip to Zimbabwe in order to assist with cricket?s development in that part of southern Africa.
Following discussions with the England management team, the selectors have decided to rest two senior players, Andrew Flintoff and Marcus Trescothick, from the tour of Zimbabwe.
Ashley Giles was also given the option of being rested from the Zimbabwe tour, but has chosen to make himself available and he has been included in a 14-man squad.
With Stephen Harmison having also made himself unavailable for the Zimbabwe tour, four players uncapped at one-day international level have been included in the 14-man squad: Ian Bell, Kevin Pietersen, Matthew Prior and Simon Jones.
Flintoff, Giles, Harmison and Trescothick have all been included in a 15-man one-day squad to tour South Africa in the New Year together with Ian Bell and the Worcestershire pace bowler Kabir Ali.
The ECB chairman, David Morgan, said: ?Following conversations I had with Michael Vaughan and Duncan Fletcher on Sunday, the ECB Management Board on Monday accepted a recommendation from the selectors that three senior players should be rested from the tour to Zimbabwe on cricketing grounds.
"Andrew Flintoff and Marcus Trescothick both subsequently accepted the invitation to be rested while Ashley Giles declined.
?The option of resting Michael Vaughan was discussed by the Management Board which is well aware of the workload he has faced in recent months and hugely appreciative of his efforts in leading the team to seven consecutive npower Test wins and to the ICC Champions Trophy final.
?The ECB and the team have, however, faced up to the situation in the knowledge that the tour to Zimbabwe must go ahead subject to it being safe and secure to proceed and in the absence of firm instruction from government to the contrary.
?In light of this, it was entirely right and proper that, on this occasion, the selectors chose to consult me as the Chairman of the Management Board about whether it was appropriate to rest the captain and a number of senior players.
?As the ECB is a member of the global cricket family, we have a duty to protect the integrity of the international game and ensure that the level of competition on any England tour is not diluted by the wholesale resting of players without good reason.
?After carefully considering the matter, Michael has chosen to lead the team in Zimbabwe mindful of his responsibilities both to his fellow players and to the long-term future of cricket in this country. He deserves great credit for doing so.
?Neither the ECB nor the captain condones the situation in Zimbabwe and I would like to re-emphasize that the team will not be involved in state functions during this tour.?
Vaughan said: ?Under normal circumstances, I would have welcomed an extended break after a long international season. But the England team and the game as a whole are faced with an extraordinary situation in undertaking this tour to Zimbabwe.
"I am proud to be captain of my country and I feel that I have a duty to my team-mates to lead the team on this tour. It has taken me considerable time and effort to come to this decision, but ultimately it was my choice and one that I stand by.
?While I certainly do not condone what is happening in Zimbabwe, I do not want to shirk my responsibilities as England captain and would not want to let the burden of captaincy fall onto another player?s shoulders.?
Chairman of selectors David Graveney said: ?The selectors are grateful to the Management Board for considering a request to rest contracted players from the tour of Zimbabwe and fully understand the position of the Board in relation to the captaincy.
?The two players who have taken up the option of rest have not had a significant break from cricket since before the tour of West Indies and we believe that an extended break will be beneficial ahead of a 12-month schedule which includes Test series against both South Africa and Australia.
?Those players rested or unavailable for the Zimbabwe tour have been included in the one-day squad to tour South Africa. This reflects the selectors? desire to retain the nucleus of the squad which performed so well against India in The NatWest Challenge and in the recent ICC Champions Trophy."
Giles said: ?Although I was given an opportunity to rest, I felt it was important to support Michael Vaughan and the rest of the squad by going to Zimbabwe.
"I also believed there were compelling cricketing reasons for me to go as I have now secured a regular place in our one-day side and I am keen to retain my position within the team.?
The ECB also confirmed that England will play two warm-up matches against Namibia during an eight-day stay in the country prior to the tour of Zimbabwe.
ECB Director of Cricket, John Carr, said: ?We are very pleased that the Namibian Cricket Board has agreed to host an England team for the first time.
"We believe the tour will be mutually beneficial by helping the development and profile of cricket in Namibia whilst providing England with good cricketing facilities in which to acclimatise prior to the trip to Zimbabwe and South Africa?.
England tour of Namibia - Itinerary
Tue Nov 16: Arrive Windhoek via Jo'burg
Wed Nov 17: Rest
Thu 18 - Sat Nov 20: Practice
Sun Nov 21: One-day game v Namibia at Windhoek Wanderers
Mon Nov 22: Practice / rest
Tue Nov 23: One-day game v Namibia at Windhoek Wanderers
Wed Nov 24: Transfer to Harare via Jo'burg
England one-day squad to tour Zimbabwe
Michael Vaughan (Yorkshire, capt)
James Anderson (Lancashire)
Gareth Batty (Worcestershire)
Ian Bell (Warwickshire)
Paul Collingwood (Durham)
Ashley Giles (Warwickshire)
Darren Gough (Essex)
Geraint Jones (Kent)
Simon Jones (Glamorgan)
Kevin Pietersen (Nottinghamshire)
Matthew Prior (Sussex)
Vikram Solanki (Worcestershire)
Andrew Strauss ( Middlesex)
Alex Wharf (Glamorgan)
Kevin Pieterson is ready for Zimbabwe