Rikki Clarke gets England call among ICC replacements

Durham all-rounder Paul Collingwood is the latest casualty to withdraw from England's one-day squad to go to the ICC Champions Trophy tournament in Sri Lanka later this month. Collingwood is suffering from a neck injury and will be replaced in the side by the 20 year-old Surrey all-rounder Rikki Clarke.

Clarke has impressed since coming into the Surrey side this season in both first-class and limited overs cricket. As recently as Monday evening he guided Surrey to a win in the Norwich Union League with a calm innings of 98 not out. Like Collingwood, he is more of a batsman who bowls than a genuine all-rounder, but there is time for him to develop his bowling skills. In first-class cricket, his seven hundred runs come at over 50 while his 11 wickets have cost 41 runs each.

Collingwood is the fifth player to pull out of the squad as originally selected. Darren Gough, still not recovered from knee surgery, was replaced by James Kirtley, Ian Blackwell came in for Andrew Flintoff who has had a hernia operation. Owais Shah has been named as the replacement for Michael Vaughan who is to undergo knee surgery. Dominic Cork has also been added to the squad as Craig White has withdrawn with an abdominal muscle injury.

Chairman of selectors, David Graveney, said: "Rikki Clarke has had an outstanding season for Surrey. He is a young player of enormous promise and this is a good opportunity for him to test himself at a higher level.

"Owais Shah was a member of the one-day squad last winter but only had limited opportunities to impress. He has shown he can succeed in international cricket and the trip to Sri Lanka will give him a further chance to press his claims for a regular place in our one-day line-up.

"Dominic Cork was called up into the one-day squad as cover for the NatWest Series Final and the selectors feel that his all-round qualities will be important in the conditions that we will face in Sri Lanka."