Tufnell back in England frame

Left-arm spinner Phil Tufnell could be in line for a surprise recall when England's selectors meet on Saturday to try and halt Australia's march to a seventh consecutive Ashes triumph.

The 35-year-old Middlesex player made the last of his 41 test appearances 18 months ago, but with first-choice spinner Ashley Giles suffering ongoing injury problems and England's pace bowlers struggling to make an impact, Tufnell could be named in the team for next week's third test at Trent Bridge.

"Some years ago I would have been screaming for the selectors to pick me and let me have a go at the Aussies," Tufnell, who has taken 120 test wickets at 36.55, said in his column on the CricInfo website. "The new, mature Philip Tufnell is not so brash."

He did say, though, that England's policy of fielding seven specialist batsmen had not worked in the opening two Ashes defeats at Edgbaston and Lord's, adding that the attack needed to be more varied.

"I think a spinner should be there to give some variety and change of pace...maybe we need to present a different kind of test for them," he said.

"It is up to the selectors and I'm not going to start bleating on about they must pick me," he added. "If England called me, that would be absolutely fantastic." Tufnell, whose match-winning performances for England include a test-best seven for 47 against New Zealand in 1992 and 11 wickets in the sixth Ashes test at The Oval in 1997, is an attacking bowler who relies as much on flight as turn.

A controversial figure off the pitch -- once accused of smoking cannabis while on tour with England in New Zealand and whose domestic problems have appeared on the news pages -- Tufnell is something of a cult figure for his clumsy fielding and his ineptitude with the bat.

His nickname of "The Cat" derives from his love of sleep rather than his athleticism.

Tufnell, whose recall was championed in the Daily Express newspaper on Friday, is the leading English spin bowler in this season's first-class averages, with 44 wickets at 23.02.

England have already turned to discarded players during the Ashes series, with coach Duncan Fletcher wary of blooding untried youngsters against the world champions.

Mark Butcher was recalled after 18 months in the wilderness and Mark Ramprakash after a year.

Both did well at Lord's, with Butcher topping England's batting averages for the series at 45.75.

Mail Cricket Editor