Rashid, Finn in England squad for Ashes opener

Uncapped Yorkshire leg-spinner Adil Rashid and Middlesex fast bowler Steven Finn were both called into a 13-man England squad announced Wednesday for next week's first Ashes Test against Australia in Cardiff.

Rashid, 27, who has played both one-day international and Twenty20, but not Test, cricket for England took eight wickets and performed well with the bat during England's recent 3-2 50-over series win at home to World Cup finalists New Zealand.

The 26-year-old Finn played the last of his 23 Tests in the 2013 Ashes opener at Trent Bridge but has worked his way back into the squad after suffering problems with his bowling action.

Rashid was not included in England's 14-man pre-Ashes training camp in Spain, where most of the squad met with new Australia coach Trevor Bayliss for the first time.

Pace bowlers Liam Plunkett and Mark Footitt, who did make the trip, were not selected in a squad captained by Alastair Cook for the First Test at Cardiff's Sophia Gardens starting on July 8, where England will begin their bid to regain the Ashes following a 5-0 thrashing in Australia in 2013/14.  

All the 11 players who featured in both Tests during the 1-1 drawn series with New Zealand were included for the Ashes opener.

England squad

Alastair Cook (Essex, capt), Adam Lyth (Yorkshire), Gary Ballance (Yorkshire), Ian Bell (Warwickshire), Joe Root (Yorkshire), Ben Stokes (Durham), Jos Buttler (Lancashire, wkt), Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Mark Wood (Durham), James Anderson (Lancashire), Steven Finn (Middlesex), Adil Rashid (Yorkshire)
Source: AFP