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England have included Ravi Bopara in their squad for the ICC Champions Trophy even though he has not represented his country for more than seven months.
The 27-year-old lastplayed forhis country in a one-day international against South Africa at Trent Bridge in January 2025 and featured for England in a World Twenty20 game against Sri Lanka in January.
Bopara has played in 83 one-day internationals for England during his career and has a batting average of over 30.
Graeme Swann is also in the 15-man squad for the tournament that starts on 6th January after he made a successful comeback from his elbow injury.
Swann missed the Test series in New Zealand to have surgery on the problem but featured in Nottinghamshire's recent County Championship defeat to Durham.
Tim Bresnan also earns a recall after the Yorkshireman proved his fitnesswith his county following an elbow injury.
Kevin Pietersen will play no part in theChampions Trophybecause of a knee injury while wicketkeeper Craig Kieswetter misses out because of a fractured thumb.
Joss Buttler will be England's first-choice wicketkeeper for the tournament, with Jonny Bairstow his back-up.
Kent spinner James Tredwell is preferred to Samit Patel in the squad while James Anderson, Steven Finn and Stuart Broad are the three first-choice seamers.
Chris Woakes keeps his place after he played against the Black Caps in the winter.
England's ICC Champions Trophy squad: Alastair Cook (Essex), James Anderson (Lancashire), Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire), Ian Bell (Warwickshire), Ravi Bopara (Essex), Tim Bresnan (Yorkshire), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Jos Buttler (Somerset), Steven Finn (Middlesex), Eoin Morgan (Middlesex), Joe Root (Yorkshire), Graeme Swann (Nottinghamshire), James Tredwell (Kent), Jonathan Trott (Warwickshire), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire).
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