The England and Wales Cricket Board today announced that it is to offer six-month contracts to 12 players for the forthcoming npower Test series against Pakistan and Australia.

The 12 include ten members of the side which won the Third Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo earlier this month plus the Yorkshire pace bowler Matthew Hoggard and the Derbyshire all-rounder Dominic Cork.

Contracted Players: N Hussain (Captain) 59 Tests, born 28-03-68, Essex; M A Atherton 108, 23-03-68, Lancashire; A R Caddick 43, 21-11-68, Somerset; D G Cork 31, 07-08-71, Derbyshire; A F Giles 7, 19-03-73, Warwickshire; D Gough 49, 18-09-70, Yorkshire; M J Hoggard 1, 31-12-76, Yorkshire; A J Stewart 108, 08-04-63, Surrey; G P Thorpe 66, 01-08-69, Surrey; M E Trescothick 9, 25-12-75, Somerset; M P Vaughan, 9, 29-10-74, Yorkshire; C White 18, 16-12-69, Yorkshire.

Commenting on the selections, Chairman of Selectors David Graveney said: "In choosing these 12 players, we were naturally keen to retain the nucleus of the team that has served us so well over the past year and won four successive Test series.

"But we also need to take account of the different conditions the team are likely to face this summer and the inclusion of Matthew Hoggard and Dominic Cork will strengthen competition for places in the seam bowling department.

"Dominic's inclusion will, however, be subject to him proving his match fitness with Derbyshire in the early season as a result of the back injury he sustained in Pakistan.

"We have decided not to contract Robert Croft as we do not expect to field two spinners in every Test Match this summer but he produced excellent performances with bat and ball in Sri Lanka and remains very much in our thoughts for both this summer's matches and next winter."

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