Bell left out of one-day squads

Date released: 7 February 2012

Bell will have some time off after being left out of the limited overs squads

Inexperienced trio Jos Buttler, Danny Briggs and Alex Hales are in England’s squads for the ODI and Twenty20 series’ against Pakistan, while Ian Bell misses out.

Bell, who has moved to the fringes of the ODI squad in recent times, pays the price for his poor form in the recent Test series, where he averaged less than ten.

He will now have a break to work on his game before England’s two Test trip to Sri Lanka in March.

Briggs, a left-arm spinner, is the only uncapped player in either squad while Buttler will hope to play his first ODI after appearing in four T20s in 2011.

Former MCC Young Cricketer Hales meanwhile is included in the T20 side and will hope to build on his efforts at the top of the order in the three matches.

England also play four ODIs on the trip, with Alastair Cook’s side in need of a boost after their 5-0 whitewash by India in October last year.

Tim Bresnan also returns to the squad after missing England’s 3-0 Test series drubbing with an elbow problem.

New faces

Buttler’s call-up is a direct result of his excellent form for England Lions on their tour of Sri Lanka.

The Somerset wicket-keeper batsman made two centuries and a fifty in the five match ‘ODI’ series against Sri Lanka A, which England won 3-2.

Briggs also played a significant role in the Lions’ win, collecting eight wickets in the series and forming a good partnership with fellow left-arm spinner Samit Patel, who is also in the squads to face Pakistan.

Hales meanwhile will be keen to cement his place at the top of the order in the T20 side, with three matches scheduled in the UAE.

England defend their ICC World Twenty20 title in Sri Lanka later this year, and Hales will have his eyes on both that trip and at a potential future position at the top of the order in all forms of the game.

Also included in the squad is Jonny Bairstow, the young Yorkshire batsman, who will have another chance to impress after a disappointing series in India.

ODI squad

T20 squad