Yorkshire hero Bresnan issues Ashes warning

Australian cricket was plunged into turmoil last month when vice-captain Shane Watson, batsman Usman Khawaja and pace bowlers Mitchell Johnson and James Pattinson were sent home from the tour of India for failing to do their homework.

Coach Mickey Arthur had asked each squad member to deliver a presentation on how the team could improve as Australia crashed to a 4-0 defeat.

But Bresnan, who admits he faces a tough fight to get back into the England side after recent injury problems, said Australia’s difficulties would count for nothing once back-to-back Ashes series start in July.

“We won’t be under-estimating Australia,” said Bresnan, who was yesterday named in England’s provisional 30-man ICC Champions Trophy squad along with Yorkshire team-mates Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow and Gary Ballance.

“I think the Ashes will be more close-fought than some people expect and we’re anticipating a very stern test.

“Forget what we did in India, forget what Australia did in India; it doesn’t matter because it’s every ball on its merits when that first Test starts.

“Australia are still a great side and we’ll respect them enormously.”

Bresnan, who took the wicket that saw England retain the Ashes at Melbourne in 2010, missed the recent tour to New Zealand to  undergo an operation on his right elbow.

He has been increasing his fitness gradually at Yorkshire and  although he will not be ready for the opening County Championship game against Sussex at Headingley, starting on Wednesday, he hopes to return for the three-day friendly against Lancashire at Headingley (April 16-18).

With the international season starting one month later, when England face New Zealand in a two-Test series,, it promises to be a critical few weeks for the 28-year-old. Bresnan must not only prove his fitness but also his form to compel a case for England selection.

“It’s going to be difficult,” said Bresnan, who is currently bowling at 80 per cent off a three-quarter run.

“When I do get back to full fitness I’m going to need to get some wickets early in the season.

“It’s obviously up to the England selectors who they pick.

“But, if I’m fit, hopefully I can get my name on the sheet.”

The biggest beneficiary as Bresnan looks to cement an Ashes berth could be Yorkshire, whose success in producing top young players was displayed once again yesterday when Ballance was the standout inclusion in the Champions Trophy squad.

The 23-year-old, a key batsman for the club in all forms of the game, was one of four uncapped players in a list that will be pruned to 15 by May 5, along with Warwickshire batsman Varun Chopra, Middlesex seam bowler James Harris and Warwickshire seam bowler Chris Wright.

As Yorkshire do not play a one-day match before May 5, Ballance would need to start the Championship season in extraordinary fashion to make the cut, or else England would have to suffer heavy injury problems as they prepare for the eight-team  tournament that takes place in this country from Thursday,  June 6-23.

His selection, in effect, is a firm vote of confidence from the England hierarchy, who resisted the temptation to recall Test wicketkeeper Matt Prior, with Bairstow and the Somerset pair of Craig Kieswetter and Jos Buttler providing the options behind the stumps.

Bairstow and Ballance will get their first outing of the season today when Yorkshire use their three-day first-class match against Leeds-Bradford MCCU at Headingley as an unofficial Championship warm-up.

Yorkshire have named what they consider their strongest available 12-man squad – minus Australian batsman Phil Jaques, whose family arrives in the country tomorrow.

New signings Jack Brooks and Liam Plunkett are both included, so there is no place for 21-year-old Moin Ashraf.

Alex Lees, the 19-year-old batsman, is down on the squad list to open the innings with Adam Lyth, with Joe Sayers pencilled in at  No 3.

Lees, who has played two first-class games for the club against India A and Durham MCCU, along with two CB40 matches, could potentially start the Championship season, with Root unavailable until the second match following his winter commitments.

Unless Yorkshire decide to play two spinners in the first week of April, the 12th man today will be Adil Rashid.

Play starts at 11am each day and admission is free.

Yorkshire (from): Lees, Lyth, Sayers, Gale (captain), Bairstow, Ballance, Rafiq, Rashid, Plunkett, Sidebottom, Brooks, Patterson.

England Squad For Trophy Tilt

AN Cook (Essex, capt),  JM Anderson (Lancashire),  JM Bairstow (Yorkshire),  GS Ballance (Yorkshire), IR Bell (Warks), RS Bopara (Essex), TT Bresnan (Yorkshire),  DR Briggs (Hampshire),  SCJ Broad (Notts), JC Buttler (Somerset), V Chopra (Warks), R Clarke (Warks),  JW Dernbach (Surrey), ST Finn (Middlesex), AD Hales (Notts), JAR Harris (Middlesex),  C Kieswetter (Somerset),  SC Meaker (Surrey),  EJG Morgan (Middlesex),  G Onions (Durham), SR Patel (Notts), KP Pietersen (Surrey), JE Root (Yorkshire), GP Swann (Notts), JWA Taylor (Notts), JC Tredwell (Kent), IJL Trott (Warks), CR Woakes (Warks), CJC Wright (Warks), LJ Wright (Sussex).