England v New Zealand: Graeme Swann and Tim Bresnan back

Graeme Swann and Tim Bresnan are both back in the England squad for the first Test against New Zealand at Lord's next week

By The Sport Review staff Saturday 11 May 2013, 11:47 UK @thesportreview

Graeme Swann is back in the squad after missing the winter tour of NZ Photo: The Sport Review

Graeme Swann and Tim Bresnan are both back in the England squad for the first Test against New Zealand at Lord’s next week.

Swann, 34, missed the series draw in New Zealand in the winter with an elbow injury that required surgery, while Bresnan also sat out the tour with a similar problem.

“Both Graeme Swann and Tim Bresnan have worked hard to regain fitness following elbow surgery and have demonstrated through their performances for their counties that they are ready for the challenge of international cricket,” said England selector Geoff Miller.

Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow are both included in the 12-man squad but Kevin Pietersen will miss the series, which begins at Lord’s on Thursday.

“We are anticipating another very competitive series against New Zealand and know that we will need to improve significantly on our performances in the recent Test series against them if we are to start the international summer on a positive note,” Miller added.

“This series provides a good opportunity for the players to show that they have learnt from the experiences over the winter.”

England squad: Alastair Cook (Essex) (captain), James Anderson (Lancashire), Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire), Ian Bell (Warwickshire), Tim Bresnan (Yorkshire), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Nick Compton (Somerset), Steven Finn (Middlesex), Matt Prior (Sussex), Joe Root (Yorkshire), Graeme Swann (Nottinghamshire), Jonathan Trott (Warwickshire)