Injured James Anderson out of first Test against Pakistan

England's all-time leading wicket-taker James Anderson was ruled out of a 12-man squad announced yesterday for next week's first Test against Pakistan at Lord's

London: England's all-time leading wicket-taker James Anderson was ruled out of a 12-man squad announced yesterday for next week's first Test against Pakistan at Lord's.

James Anderson

Anderson, 33, has not recovered from a right shoulder injury sustained in the third Test against Sri Lanka last month — a three-match series England won 2-0.

The paceman's place in the squad has been taken by uncapped Middlesex seamer Toby Roland-Jones. "Jimmy has been touch and go for a while, he is making really good progress but it is the selectors' view that he just won't be quite ready for that first Test, hopefully for the second (at Old Trafford)," said England captain Alastair Cook yesterday.

With struggling number three Nick Compton taking time out of cricket, the selectors sprang a surprise by recalling Gary Ballance for the first of a four-Test series starting on July 14.

England squad: A Cook (capt), M Ali, J Bairstow, G Ballance, J Ball, S Broad, S Finn, A Hales, J Root, T Roland-Jones, J Vince, C Woakes

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