Yorkshire’s Ballance loses out to Taylor in one-day squad

Root is Yorkshire’s sole representative for the series in November and December as England step up plans for next year’s World Cup.

Ballance has been left out in favour of Nottinghamshire’s James Taylor, who has been included in a one-day squad for the first time since last September, with Essex’s Ravi Bopara also winning a recall after being a surprise omission from England’s squad for their most recent series, a 3-1 home defeat against India under Cook.

In the One-Day Cup, Taylor scored 444 runs in just seven matches at an average of 88.8, with three centuries and one 50.

Bopara, 29, scored three half-centuries in five matches and he will add vast experience to the England team with 108 ODI caps to his name, 2,453 runs and 37 wickets via his medium-pace bowling.

Yorkshire have six representatives among the 19 players who will form this winter’s England Performance Programme (EPP).

Jonny Bairstow, Alex Lees, Adam Lyth and Adil Rashid are among the 12 who will take part in a batting and spin camp in Sri Lanka, with Jack Brooks and Liam Plunkett among the seven who will attend a fast bowlers camp in South Africa.

Rashid, along with Lancashire left-arm spinner Stephen Parry, will travel to Sri Lanka with the ODI party to help them prepare for the series that starts on November 26 before joining up with the EPP.

James Whitaker, the national selector, said: “With the World Cup less than five months away we are very aware that our one-day cricket needs to develop quickly if we are to arrive at the competition ready to compete with the very best sides in the world.

“This tour to Sri Lanka allows the players and management to focus fully on improving skills in limited overs cricket ahead of final selection for the World Cup.

“Congratulations to James Taylor, who has been rewarded for his outstanding form for Nottinghamshire this season and fully deserves another opportunity in the international arena.

“While Gary Ballance will, I’m sure, be disappointed to miss out on this tour he knows he remains a very important part of our plans.”

England ODI squad: Cook (Essex, capt), Ali (Worcs), Anderson (Lancashire), Bell (Warwicks), Bopara (Essex), Buttler (Lancashire), Finn (Middlesex), Gurney (Notts), Hales (Notts), Jordan (Sussex), Morgan (Middlesex), Root (Yorkshire), Stokes (Durham), Taylor (Notts), Tredwell (Kent), Chris Woakes (Warwicks).

England PP squad: Ansari (Surrey),Bairstow (Yorkshire), Billings (Kent), Lees (Yorkshire), Lyth (Yorkshire), Parry (Lancashire), Patel (Notts), Rashid (Yorkshire), Riley (Kent), Roy (Surrey), Vince (Hampshire), Westley (Essex), Brooks (Yorkshire), Dunn (Surrey), Footitt (Derbys), Overton (Somerset), Plunkett (Yorkshire), Rankin (Warwick), Wood (Durham).