Trescothick included in 25-man England performance squad

Opener Marcus Trescothick, who missed the World Cup because of a stress-related illness, was included today in a 25-man squad for the home series against West Indies and India.

The Somerset player, who was also ruled out of the Ashes defeat by Australia at the turn of the year, has told media he would like to return for England but only if he felt up to joining an overseas tour party again.

Coach Peter Moores will be in charge of the squad for the first time after taking over from Duncan Fletcher, who resigned after England's second-stage exit at the World Cup last week.

Trescothick left the England party in November last year shortly before their Ashes 5-0 whitewash by Australia. He has played 76 tests with an average of 43.79.

Neither wicketkeeper Geraint Jones, who featured in England's 2005 home Ashes success, nor his successor Chris Read was included in the ''performance squad'' announced by the England Cricket Board.

Matt Prior and Paul Nixon, who was one of the few England successes in the World Cup in the Caribbean, will contest the wicketkeeper position.

The squad also includes Simon Jones, who missed the entire Ashes series and most of last year with a knee injury.

The first of four tests against West Indies starts on May 17.

Performance squad: Michael Vaughan, James Anderson, Ian Bell, Ravi Bopara, Stuart Broad, Paul Collingwood, Alastair Cook, Jamie Dalrymple, Andrew Flintoff, Steve Harmison, Matthew Hoggard, Simon Jones, Ed Joyce, Jon Lewis, Sajid Mahmood, Paul Nixon, Graham Onions, Monty Panesar, Kevin Pietersen, Liam Plunkett, Matt Prior, Owais Shah, Andrew Strauss, Marcus Trescothick, Michael Yardy.

Reuters DKA GC2330

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