England recall troubled Monty Panesar for return Ashes Tests

England recalled troubled left-arm spinner Monty Panesar on Monday and named three uncapped players in a 17-man squad for the return Ashes series in Australia that starts in November.

Panesar, fined by police in August for urinating in public, has been England's back-up test slow bowler in recent years but Lancashire left-armer Simon Kerrigan was picked alongside Graeme Swann for the fifth and final Ashes test at the Oval last month. Yorkshire batsman Gary Ballance, Warwickshire pace bowler Boyd Rankin and Durham all-rounder Ben Stokes, yet to play in the longer format, were also selected on Monday. England, who won the last Ashes series 3-0, will play three warm-up games before Brisbane hosts the first test in the five-match series from Nov. 21.

All-rounder Tim Bresnan, still recovering from a stress fracture of his lower back, is to travel to Australia and the England coaches will monitor his fitness progress.

Squad: Alastair Cook (captain), Joe Root, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Matt Prior, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Monty Panesar, Gary Ballance, Michael Carberry, Boyd Rankin, Steven Finn, Ben Stokes, Chris Tremlett. (Writing by Sudipto Ganguly in Mumbai; editing by Tony Jimenez)