LONDON – England handed wicketkeeper Matt Prior a surprise call up as they announced on Wednesday the 15-man squad for next month’s ICC Cricket World Cup in India.
Steve Davies makes way for Prior, who earns a recall after 10 months out of the team, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said in a statement on its website. “Matt Prior returns to the England ODI squad after a brief absence and given his recent form and his batting style, which is very well suited to the sub-continent conditions, we believe his inclusion is warranted,” England national selector Geoff Miller said. “Despite some strong performances both with the bat and behind the stumps by Steven Davies, we feel that Matt’s game will be better suited to the conditions in Bangladesh and India, the venues staging England’s group matches.”
England squad: Andrew Strauss (captain), James Anderson, Ian Bell, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Paul Collingwood, Eoin Morgan, Kevin Pietersen, Matt Prior, Ajmal Shahzad, Graeme Swann, James Tredwell, Jonathan Trott, Luke Wright, Michael Yardy.
