Panesar gets England recall for Ashes

LONDON: Controversial spinner Monty Panesar was given a chance to revive his England career after being named Monday in a 17-man squad for the forthcoming Ashes tour of Australia.
England also selected uncapped trio of Yorkshire batsman Gary Ballance, Durham all-rounder Ben Stokes and former Ireland seamer Boyd Rankin for a tour where they will bid to win a fourth straight Ashes series against archrivals Australia.
Panesar has long been regarded as England’s second-best spinner behind off-break bowler Graeme Swann.
However, the 31-year-old Panesar was fined by police for urinating in public after he was ejected from a Brighton nightclub on Aug. 5 and then effectively sacked by south coast county Sussex.
He has though since played for Essex on loan while the woeful Test debut of Lancashire left-arm spinner Simon Kerrigan in the drawn final match of the recent Ashes series — which England won 3-0 — at The Oval in south London, strengthened Panesar’s case for a recall.
England are due to arrive in Perth on Oct. 25, with the first Test due to start at Brisbane’s Gabba ground on Nov. 21.

England squad:
Alastair Cook (Essex, capt), Joe Root (Yorkshire), Jonathan Trott (Warwickshire), Kevin Pietersen (Surrey), Ian Bell (Warwickshire), Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire, wkt), Matt Prior (Sussex, wkt), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Graeme Swann (Nottinghamshire), James Anderson (Lancashire), Steven Finn (Middlesex), Boyd Rankin (Warwickshire), Ben Stokes (Durham), Monty Panesar (Essex), Michael Carberry (Hampshire), Gary Ballance (Yorkshire), Chris Tremlett (Surrey)

Fixtures:
Oct 25: England arrive, Perth
Oct 31-Nov 02: Three-day warm-up v Western Australia, WACA, Perth
Nov 06-09: Four-day warm-up v Australia A, Blundstone Arena, Hobart
Nov 13-16: Four-day warm-up v v New South Wales XI, Sydney Cricket Ground
Nov 21-25: 1ST TEST, The Gabba, Brisbane
Nov 29-30: Two-day warm-up v Chairman’s XI, Traeger Park, Alice Springs
Dec 05-09: 2ND TEST, Adelaide Oval
Dec 13-17: 3RD TEST, WACA, Perth
Dec 26-30: 4TH TEST, Melbourne Cricket Ground
Jan 03-07: 5TH TEST, Sydney Cricket Ground

One-day international series
Jan 12: 1ST ODI, Melbourne Cricket Ground
Jan 17: 2ND ODI, Gabba, Brisbane
Jan 19: 3RD ODI, Sydney Cricket Ground
Jan 24: 4TH ODI, WACA, Perth
Jan 26: 5TH ODI, Adelaide Oval, Adelaide

Twenty20 international series
Jan 29: 1ST T20, Blundstone Arena, Hobart
Jan 31: 2ND T20, Melbourne Cricket Ground
Feb 02: 3RD T20, Stadium Australia, Sydney