Apart from Graham Thorpe, already forced home by his bad back, Mike Atherton, Angus Fraser, Mark Ramprakash, Mark Butcher, Dominic Cork, Peter Such and Alex Tudor will all be going back to England after the Sydney Test in early January. The players concerned were told in advance of the announcement yesterday. There were public words of consolation, too, for Fraser and Atherton.
The chairman of selectors, David Graveney, said they were ``still very much part of our plans'' and Graham Gooch confirmed that, because the white ball is likely to move around on relatively juicy pitches in England in May, neither has been ruled out.
Thorpe's bad luck has worked to the advantage of Nasser Hussain, who has earned another chance as a one-day international cricketer by the excellence of his batting and fielding on the tour, and of Neil Fairbrother, 35, who is earmarked for the Thorpe role as mid-innings bustler. Gooch said of this veteran of 57 internationals: ``He has a lot of experience. He's someone who can get you 30 or 40 not out to win a game.'' He has played in the last two World Cups.
John Crawley's ability as a possible reserve wicketkeeper - not to mention his now outstanding fielding - has given him a chance to extend his international career, whatever his fate over the next three weeks. Cork and Ramprakash are not so lucky.
Since Ramprakash has batted so well on this tour and has plenty of knowledge of what is required when batting in the one-day game, he is particularly unfortunate to be omitted. As for Cork, he can be an infuriating cricketer and there are those who would say the same about his character, but there is still some class about his bowling and ability in his batting.
Vince Wells and Mark Alleyne, who have been preferred to Cork, and also to Matthew Fleming and Ian Austin, have the chance now to show what they can do. They are highly regarded in county cricket and Australian conditions will test them to the full. Ben Hollioake will also be facing a real trial of his undeveloped talent. Ten internationals against Australia and Sri Lanka could make or break him.
Fleming, Austin, Warren Hegg, Peter Martin and Dougie Brown are the official stand-by players for the Carlton United Series matches, which start on Jan 10 in Brisbane after five warm-up games. The five chosen players currently in the UK - Alleyne, Mark Ealham, Fairbrother, Ashley Giles and Nick Knight - will leave London on Boxing Day with Graveney and the physiotherapist, Dean Conway. Wells will join the party in Brisbane from New Zealand and Adam Hollioake from Perth.
England Squad
ENGLAND SQUAD (one-day series v Australia and Sri Lanka): *-A J Stewart (Surrey), M W Alleyne (Gloucestershire), J P Crawley (Lancashire), R D B Croft (Glamorgan), M A Ealham (Kent), N H Fairbrother (Lancashire), A F Giles (Warwickshire), D Gough (Yorkshire), D W Headley (Kent), G A Hick (Worcestershire), A J Hollioake (Surrey), B C Hollioake (Surrey), N Hussain (Essex), N V Knight (Warwickshire), A D Mullally (Leicestershire), V J Wells (Leicestershire).