LONDON (Reuters)
Bowlers Alan Mullally and Richard Johnson have been called into the England squad for the fourth Ashes Test against Australia.

England captain Nasser Hussain returns to lead the team for the Headingley Test, which starts on Thursday, after sitting out the last two matches of the series because of a broken finger, but batsmen Graham Thorpe and Michael Vaughan will not play.

Ian Ward and Craig White are the two players dropped from the team to make way for Hampshire left-arm pace bowler Mullally and Somerset's right-arm medium pacer Johnson.

"Ian has struggled in this series but he has been batting out of his normal position and weare confident that he has the character to bounce back from this," chairman of selectors David Graveney said. "The decision to leave Craig out was based on his recent form with the ball rather than with the bat and he remains in our thoughts for this winter's tour squads.

"History suggests that seam bowling usually dominates at Headingley and at this stage it is likely that we will look to play seven batsmen and four bowlers.

"Alan Mullally had been considered for the last Test match when Chris Silverwood withdrew through injury. He is also in good form at present, took 8-90 for Hampshire last week and bowled well against Australia in the tour match."

But there was no place for Thorpe, who has not recovered from a broken hand sustained in the second Test at Lord's, nor Michael Vaughan, who had been expected to be included but has not made sufficient progress after knee surgery. Usman Afzaal earns a recall.

"We looked at the batting in the light of the knowledge that Michael Vaughan and Graham Thorpe will not be fit for Headingley but we are hopeful that both will be available for the Oval," Graveney added. "Usman Afzaal has been in the squad this summer as the extra batsman and he deserves another opportunity at this level after playing in the first Test at Edgbaston."

The selectors said they had decided against choosing one enlarged squad for both the fourth and fifth Tests, as had been anticipated.

Having lost the first three Tests and the series, England will be looking to restore some pride in the last two matches of the series.

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