England have named their replacements for the tour of India following the withdrawal of Robert Croft and Andy Caddick. Croft's stand-in is Martyn Ball, the 31-year-old Gloucestershire offspinner, while Caddick is replaced by his Somerset team-mate Richard Johnson. Neither has won a Test cap. Johnson, 26, was drafted into the squad for three of last summer's Ashes Tests, but didn't make the final XI, so his selection is not unexpected - but the call for Ball is a surprise, even though he did improve from 137th in the national averages in 2000 to 35th last season, with 34 wickets at 25.76. He is also an outstanding slip fielder as well as a useful lower-order batsman and seasoned nightwatchman.

Together, the two decisions leave the England party with what a former manager, Micky Stewart, once called "a lot of inexperience". The specialist fast bowlers have three caps between them - two for Matthew Hoggard, one for Jimmy Ormond and none for Johnson. Ball's fellow spinners are the uncapped and even more inexperienced Richard Dawson, and Ashley Giles, who has yet to prove his fitness.

David Graveney, England's chairman of selectors, said: "It was a close call as to who was going to replace Andrew Caddick. We considered Chris Silverwood and Martin Bicknell as well as Richard Johnson. But we opted for Richard because he has the ability to swing the ball at pace, hits the deck hard and can bowl long spells. He has also taken wickets on one of the best batting pitches in the country at Taunton and is likely to face similar conditions in India."

Graveney continued: "Having talked to Dean Conway and taken advice from medical specialists, we believe that Ashley Giles's recovery from his Achilles injury is very much on track. While he still has to regain his cricket fitness, we are confident from a medical point of view that he will pass a fitness test next week and be available for selection in India.

"In the light of this, we decided to look for a like-for-like replacement for Robert Croft. Martyn Ball had a very good season in four-day cricket with Gloucestershire and has been an integral part of their success in limited-overs cricket in recent years. He is used to the big-match atmosphere having played in several Lord's finals, is an outstanding slip catcher and a good team-man."

Ball said: "I was ecstatic when David Graveney phoned me with the news and will be thrilled to bits to be getting on the plane with the rest of the squad. As a 31-year-old, I did wonder if perhaps my chance of an England cap might have gone. But the last season with Gloucestershire went extremely well for me and I feel that I have matured both as a spinner and with the bat during that time."

Johnson, who was selected for the 1995-96 tour of South Africa but had to withdraw with a back injury, said: "I'm very happy to have been chosen and after being involved in the summer, hopefully I will get a chance to show everyone what I can do. It didn't really enter my head not to go on tour. This might be the only opportunity I get with England, and I want to try and take it. But it is a difficult decision for people to make and I accept that not everyone faces the same set of circumstances as I do."

England Test squad to India, 2001-02
Batsmen
Marcus Trescothick Somerset age 25, Test caps 16
Michael Vaughan Yorkshire 26, 11
Mark Butcher Surrey 29, 32
Nasser Hussain (capt) Essex 33, 63
Graham Thorpe Surrey 32, 69
Mark Ramprakash Surrey 31, 46
Usman Afzaal Notts 24, 3

Allrounder
Craig White Yorkshire 30, 21

Wicketkeepers
James Foster Essex 21, 0
Warren Hegg Lancashire 33, 2

Spinners
Ashley Giles Warwickshire 28, 8
Martyn Ball Gloucestershire 31, 0
Richard Dawson Yorkshire 21, 0

Fast bowlers
Richard Johnson Somerset 26, 0
Matthew Hoggard Yorkshire 24, 2
James Ormond Leicestershire 24, 1

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