New South African cricket coach Graham Ford yesterday expressed surprise at the England selectors' decision to omit Mark Ramprakash, one of the captaincy candidates earlier this year, for their tour to this country starting in October.

The tour comes after a disastrous home season for England in which they were knocked out of the World Cup at the first stage and then lost the Test series with lightly-regarded New Zealand.

Ramprakash, who topped the batting averages in England's last tour, to Australia last summer, lost his place in the 17-man squad announced yesterday, chairman of selectors David Graveney saying ``it came down to a choice between him and Alec Stewart''.

Ford believed Ramprakash could well have joined veteran wicketkeeper/batsman Stewart on the five-Test tour though. ``It is a big surprise that they have left Ramprakash out. He did pretty well in Australia and certainly didn't disgrace himself against New Zealand.''

The former Natal coach added that he knew why the selectors had made the controversial decision. ``They're trying to increase the number of all-rounders in their squad because they're worried about their tail. We saw in the New Zealand series that their long tail cost them dearly.

``But their problem now is that if they include all their quality bowlers, then they'll still have quite a long tail and you're going to have one or two very inexperienced Test players batting around the likes of Atherton, Stewart, Hussain and Butcher,'' Ford said.

``Atherton, Stewart and Hussain are all quality players, while Butcher has done well at Test level. But people like Darren Maddy and Chris Adams haven't been around long and we'll have to see how they go with a lot of pressure on them.''

England's strength will be their bowling attack. ``They were their strength against New Zealand,'' Ford said, ``and they now have Darren Gough back.'' Injury robbed England of the combative Yorkshireman's brisk seam bowling for the entire New Zealand series and Ford accepts that an attack featuring Gough and other quality pacemen such as Andy Caddick, Alan Mullaly and Dean Headley would have South Africa under pressure on pitches that offer assistance to the seamers.

Gavin Hamilton, who starred with both bat and ball for Scotland in the World Cup, gets a belated England call-up, but Graham Thorpe's decision to miss the tour and the omission of Graeme Hick will leave the senior batsmen under pressure.

Graveney said: ``Mark Ramprakash's future with England is not finished. It came down to a choice between him and Alec Stewart - and we believe Alec to be a world-class all-rounder in terms of batting and wicketkeeping. He will go as the wicketkeeper/batsman - it gives us more options.''

Stewart was not chosen, however, in the 15-man party for the limited-overs series, which begins in South Africa and concludes in Zimbabwe.

There is no Test squad place for Warwickshire fast bowler Ed Giddins, who made his debut in the final Test against New Zealand at The Oval. Ramprakash's county colleague Phil Tufnell is retained in a 17-strong squad, which includes four uncapped players - Sussex captain Adams, Northamptonshire's Graeme Swann, Yorkshire all-rounder Hamilton and his teammate Michael Vaughan, the opening batsman and off-spinner who captained England A to South Africa last winter.

Adams said: ``I feel I've got up to six of my best years ahead of me. I'm really enjoying my cricket and being Sussex captain, and getting selected in both squads is fantastic for me and the club.''

The side has a fair sprinkling of youth, with seven players 25 or under. Surrey batsman-wicketkeeper Stewart had been one of the senior players whose Test place was under pressure following England's dismal summer.

Stewart's Surrey team-mate Thorpe, who asked not to be considered for the Test tour but was available for the one-day squad, will not be required by England this winter.

His name is a notable absentee from the one-day side, which includes Worcestershire's Indian-born Vikram Solanki.

The Test squad will leave for South Africa on October 26 for the five-Test series, while the triangular limited-overs series against South Africa and Zimbabwe starts on January 23 in South Africa, then moves on to Zimbabwe for four one-day internationals against the host country.

Test squad:

Nasser Hussain (Essex, capt, age 31/42 caps),
Chris Adams (Sussex, 29/0),
Mike Atherton (Lancashire, 31/89),
Mark Butcher (Surrey, 27/22),
Andy Caddick (Somerset, 30/25),
Andrew Flintoff (Lancashire, 21/2), Darren Gough (Yorkshire, 28/31),
Gavin Hamilton (Yorkshire, 24/0),
Dean Headley (Kent, 29/15),
Darren Maddy (Leicestershire, 25/1),
Alan Mullally (Leicestershire, 30/16),
Chris Read (Nottinghamshire, 21/3),
Alec Stewart (Surrey, 36/90),
Graham Swann (Northamptonshire, 22/0),
Alec Tudor (Surrey, 21/3),
Phil Tufnell (Middlesex, 33/38),
Michael Vaughan (Yorkshire, 24/0).

Limited-overs squad:

Nasser Hussain (capt, 31/33),
Chris Adams (Sussex, 29/2),
Mark Alleyne (Gloucestershire, 31/4),
Andy Caddick (Somerset, 30/9),
Mark Ealham (Kent, 30/39),
Andrew Flintoff (Lancashire, 21/9),
Ashley Giles (Warwickshire, 26/5),
Darren Gough (Yorkshire, 28/65),
Gavin Hamilton (Yorkshire, 24/0),
Graeme Hick (Worcestershire, 33/96),
Nick Knight (Warwickshire, 29/44),
Darren Maddy (Leicestershire, 25/2),
Alan Mullally (Leicestershire, 30/29),
Chris Read (Nottinghamshire, 21/0),
Vikram Solanki (Worcestershire, 23/0).