Panesar earns England recall

Monty Panesar has been selected as England's second spinner for the Test series against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates.

Panesar, who joins reserve wicketkeeper Steve Davies in an otherwise predictable squad of 16 under captain Andrew Strauss, has been out of favour since the last of his 39 Test caps to date at the start of the 2009 Ashes series.

England have also been able to include a number of regulars who are fit to travel next month after injury, and in some cases surgery.

Batsman Eoin Morgan has been unavailable since the first match of England's one-day international series at home to India in September because of a shoulder injury which required an operation.

Fast bowler Stuart Broad also hurt his shoulder in that same series, and missed the return - a 5-0 hammering for England - in India.

Broad's fellow seamer Chris Tremlett has been absent longer, having injured his back before last summer's Trent Bridge Test against India - while pace bowler Tim Bresnan has missed no cricket and has recovered quickly after a recent operation on his elbow.

Steven Finn, the sole success story of England's hapless autumn tour, is also in the reckoning as a pace option.

But the most eye-catching element of a squad otherwise notable for the inclusion of Ravi Bopara as a back-up specialist batsman, despite his mediocre trip to India, is the presence of Panesar.

National selector Geoff Miller said: "Monty Panesar, who has been playing cricket in Sydney recently, has been selected as the second spin option along with Graeme Swann. Monty's selection comes off the back of a strong domestic season with Sussex and with the potentially spin-friendly conditions of Dubai and Abu Dhabi in mind."

England squad for three Tests against Pakistan in January and February: AJ Strauss (Capt, Middlesex), JM Anderson (Lancashire), IR Bell (Warwickshire), RS Bopara (Essex), TT Bresnan (Yorkshire), SCJ Broad (Nottinghamshire), AN Cook (Essex), SM Davies (wkt, Surrey), ST Finn (Middlesex), EJG Morgan (Middlesex), MS Panesar (Sussex), KP Pietersen (Surrey), MJ Prior (wkt, Sussex), GP Swann (Nottinghamshire), CT Tremlett (Surrey), IJL Trott (Warwickshire).