Swann leads England against Windies

LONDON, England,  CMC – Test off-spinner Graeme Swann will lead England in a two-match Twenty20 series against West Indies later this month.

England selectors yesterday announced Swann to take charge of the 14-man squad for the doubleheader scheduled for September 23 and 25 at the Oval here.

Regular T20 captain Stuart Broad and vice-captain Eoin Morgan are both unavailable through injury.

“Graeme Swann is a highly respected member of the England side and his experience and leadership qualities will be invaluable when he leads a young England team next week – a role he is very much looking forward to,” said chief selector Geoff Miller.

Swann is the country’s leading spinner and has become a fixture in both the Test and one-day side. He has taken 153 wickets in Tests and 85 wickets in 59 ODIs.

The squad includes two new players in Yorkshire’s Jonathan Bairstow and Hampshire’s Danny Briggs, with James Anderson and Durham’s Scott Borthwick added to the squad that beat India last month.

“We have once again selected a blend of experienced international performers along with exciting young players with a great deal of talent,” Miller said.

“We have had a successful summer to date and will be looking to continue our form during the Twenty20 series against West Indies and finish the summer with two strong performances.”

SQUAD – Graeme Swann (captain), James Anderson, Jonathan Bairstow, Ravi Bopara, Scott Borthwick, Tim Bresnan, Danny Briggs, Jos Buttler, Jade Dernbach, Steven Finn, Alex Hales, Craig Kieswetter, Samit Patel, Ben Stokes.