TAYLOR & PIETERSEN LEFT OUT OF TEST SQUAD

Nottinghamshire trio Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann and Samit Patel have been included in England’s 16-man Test squad to tour India.

Kevin Pietersen’s omission will dominate the headlines though despite the inclusion of uncapped batsmen Nick Compton and Joe Root at the expense of James Taylor who is included in the England Performance Squad also set to tour India.

“The England Performance Programme looks to identify and develop players that can go on to be world class cricketers for England in the future,” said ECB Performance Director David Parsons.

“As in previous winters we will be shadowing the England team and their tour which is a model we have successfully used since 2006, providing England with a group of players that can be called upon should the need arise.”

Pietersen’s omission will lead to further discsussions with the ECB which have rumbled on since the former Nottinghamshire batsman was left out of the final Test against South Africa.

“Both ECB and England team management have had meetings with Kevin Pietersen to address the issues which led to his omission,” said National Selector Geoff Miller.

“These discussions remain private and confidential and as there are issues still to be resolved Kevin has not been considered for selection for the India tour.”

England Test Squad to tour India
Alastair Cook (captain) Essex
James Anderson (Lancashire)
Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire)
Ian Bell (Warwickshire)
Tim Bresnan (Yorkshire)
Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire)
Nick Compton (Somerset)
Steven Finn (Middlesex)
Graham Onions (Durham)
Eoin Morgan (Middlesex)
Monty Panesar (Sussex)
Samit Patel (Nottinghamshire)
Matt Prior (Sussex)
Joe Root (Yorkshire)
Graeme Swann (Nottinghamshire)
Jonathan Trott (Warwickshire)

England Performance Programme Squad to tour India
Jos Buttler (Somerset)
Gary Ballance (Yorkshire)
Scott Borthwick (Durham)
Danny Briggs (Hampshire)
Varun Chopra (Warwickshire)
Matthew Coles (Kent)
Jade Dernbach (Surrey)
Ben Foakes (Essex)
James Harris (Glamorgan)
Simon Kerrigan (Lancashire)
Craig Kieswetter (Somerset)
Stuart Meaker (Surrey)
Azeem Rafiq (Yorkshire)
Toby Roland-Jones (Middlesex)
Ben Stokes (Durham)
James Taylor (Nottinghamshire)
Chris Wright (Warwickshire)

England Test Squad – Tour Itinerary
November
15-19 1^st Test, Ahmedabad (Motera) (0400 GMT)
23-27 2^nd Test, Mumbai (Wankhede Stadium) (0400 GMT)
December
5-9 3^rd Test, Kolkata (0400 GMT)
13-17 4^th Test, Nagpur (0400 GMT)