Chris Woakes in, Bresnan out for New Zealand tour

England fast bowler Tim Bresnan has been dropped from the 15-member squad for the New Zealand tour, and instead Chris Woakes, who has played seven One-Day International matches and three Twenty20 matches, has been selected.

Tim Bresnan, who underwent an elbow operation on December 2011, is set to undergo treatment for his injury. Chris Woakes, who has replaced Bresnan, is looking to make use of the opportunity, and the tour of New Zealand could certainly open up his Test career.

Also, England’s national selector Geoff Miller has said that they have tough season ahead, and felt that this was an ideal time to give Bresnan a break and bring a new face into the squad.

“We have a busy international summer ahead of us and the medical team felt this was an ideal opportunity for Tim Bresnan to take some time out to ensure his elbow is functioning effectively,” Miller said. “Chris Woakes has impressed on the England Performance Programme and with England Lions and Warwickshire in recent years as well as with England in the limited overs formats. This is a good opportunity for him to gain further experience in the international environment.”

He also said that Kieswetter had been dropped from the One-Day squad due to the start of the new domestic season, for which he would return to Somerset.

“Craig has had an extended opportunity in ODI and T20 cricket,” Miller said. “He has shown evidence of delivering performances on the international stage however we don’t feel these have been delivered consistently enough. As we look forward to the Champions Trophy and Cricket World Cup in 2015 we will look to explore other options.

“The door is not closed to Craig, and he can fight his way back into contention for international selection through consistent high performances with Somerset.”

The other good news for England is that Stuart Broad will be available for them, and that, in turn, strengthens the bowling attack, as the conditions would also ideally suit Stuart Broad. This tour could be significant for England, as they have lost an ODI series in sub-continent. The conditions are similar to that of England. If England’s experienced top-order batsman can deliver, then probably, they could find better results.

England Test squad
Alastair Cook (capt), James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Ian Bell, Stuart Broad, Nick Compton, Steven Finn, Graham Onions, Monty Panesar, Kevin Pietersen, Matt Prior, Joe Root, Graeme Swann, Jonathan Trott, Chris Woakes

England T20 squad
Stuart Broad (capt), Jonny Bairstow, Danny Briggs, Jos Buttler, Jade Dernbach, Steven Finn, Alex Hales, Michael Lumb, Stuart Meaker, Eoin Morgan, Samit Patel, James Tredwell, Chris Woakes, Luke Wright

England ODI squad
Alastair Cook (capt), James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Ian Bell, Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Steven Finn, James Harris, Eoin Morgan, Samit Patel, Joe Root, Graeme Swann, James Tredwell, Jonathan Trott, Chris Woakes – (Courtesy ESPN Cricinfo)