No surprises as Australia names Ashes squad

Australia announced its lineup for this year's Ashes test cricket series against England on Friday, springing no major surprises.

The Australian Cricket Board named a 16-man squad for the five-match series as well as a 14-man team for the triangular limited-overs series with England and Pakistan.

Eleven players were picked in both teams with Steve Waugh to captain both sides.

Australia's selectors resisted the temptation to make any drastic changes to the side recently beaten 2-1 by India although fast bowler Michael Kasprowicz was dropped for Brett Lee, who was forced to miss the Indian tour because of injury.

Pacemen Nathan Bracken and Damien Fleming were also added to the test squad after playing for the one-day team while top order batsman Simon Katich was recalled after his international career stalled when he was struck down with chicken pox on the 1999 tour of Sri Lanka.

Predictably, Australia named Shane Warne and Colin Miller as their two spinners, leaving out the unlucky Stuart MacGill.

The Australians will travel to Britain at the end of May with their opening match against Worcestershire starting on June 1. The tour concludes with the fifth Ashes test at the Oval in London in the last week of August.

Test squad: Steve Waugh (captain), Adam Gilchrist (vice-captain), Nathan Bracken, Damien Fleming, Jason Gillespie, Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer, Brett Lee, Simon Katich, Damien Martyn, Glenn McGrath, Colin Miller, Ricky Ponting, Michael Slater, Shane Warne, Mark Waugh.

One-day squad: Steve Waugh (captain), Adam Gilchrist (vice-captain), Michael Bevan, Nathan Bracken, Damien Fleming, Jason Gillespie, Ian Harvey, Matthew Hayden, Damien Martyn, Glenn McGrath, Ricky Ponting, Andrew Symonds, Shane Warne, Mark Waugh.

Mail Cricket Editor