KENT wicketkeeper Geraint Jones was "shocked" to be named in England’s tour party to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka almost a year to the day after being handed the county job following the sacking of Paul Nixon.

Perversely Nixon, who has since re-joined Leicestershire, was one of the first players to shake Jones’s hand at Grace Road where Jones heard the news via a telephone call from England’s chairman of selectors, David Graveney.

"It’s strange how life works isn’t it and how life can turn around in the space of 12 months," said the 27-year-old Australian-raised keeper after being named in the 15-man squad.

"A year ago I got the Kent job ahead of Paul and here I am at Grace Road playing against him, so you might say he’s had a fair bit to do with what’s gone on.

"I got the call from David Graveney when I was in the dressing room I was shocked yes, but it was a nice shock, and all the guys stopped their game of cards to shake hands with me."

Jones, leads the rankings with 48 victims in his rookie first-class season, will go on the three-month trip as understudy to Nottinghamshire’s Chris Read, a player he had opportunity to meet last month during Kent’s two-day win at Trent Bridge.

"I had a quick chat with Chris in Nottingham the other week and talked over a few things and he seemed a really nice guy," added Jones. "It was the first time I’d spoken with him and, to be fair, I don’t really know many of the guys in this party very well.

"Getting to know them all will be just another part of a steep learning curve in my first year, but it’s something I’m really looking forward to."

There were no places for swing bowlers Martin Saggers who, for the fourth season running, has bagged 50 championship wickets, or batsman Rob Key, who toured Sri Lanka with the ECB National Academy squad last winter before joining the full Ashes tour.

Batsman Ed Smith also missed out despite playing England’s last three Tests against South Africa and heard the news of his omission on Tuesday night.

But there was better news for Kent’s 21-year-old spinner James Tredwell who has been selected amongst this winter’s ECB National Academy intake.

He will join the academy training camp in Loughborough between October and January before touring Malaya and India for six weeks from February.

Full England tour parties:

Test squad to tour Bangladesh and Sri Lanka: 1 Michael Vaughan (Yorkshire) * (Captain) 29.10.74, 2. James Anderson (Lancashire) * 30.7.82 , 3. Gareth Batty (Worcestershire) 13.10.77, 4. Mark Butcher (Surrey) * 23.8.72. 5. Rikki Clarke (Surrey) 29.9.81, 6. Paul Collingwood (Durham) * 26.5.76, 7. Andrew Flintoff (Lancashire) * 6.12.77, 8. Ashley Giles (Warwickshire)* 19.3.73, 9. Stephen Harmison (Durham) 23.10.78, 10. Nasser Hussain (Essex) * 28.3.68, 11. Matthew Hoggard (Yorkshire) 31.12.76, 12. Geraint Jones (Kent) 14.7.76 13. Chris Read (Nottinghamshire) 10.8.78, 14. Marcus Trescothick (Somerset) * 25.12.75, 15. Graham Thorpe (Surrey) 1.8.69

* Denotes 12 month England contract.

England one-day squad to tour Bangladesh and Sri Lanka:

1. Michael Vaughan (Yorkshire) (Captain) 29.10.74, 2. James Anderson (Lancashire) 30.7.82, 3. Gareth Batty (Worcestershire) 13.10.77, 4. Ian Blackwell (Somerset) 10. 6.78, 5. Rikki Clarke (Surrey) 29.9.81, 6. Paul Collingwood (Durham) 26.5.76, 7. Andrew Flintoff (Lancashire) 6.12.77, 8. Ashley Giles (Warwickshire) 19.3.73 9. Richard Johnson (Somerset) 29.12.74, 10. James Kirtley (Sussex) 10.1.75, 11. Anthony McGrath (Yorkshire) 6.10.75, 12. Chris Read (Nottinghamshire) 10.8.78, 13 Vikram Solanki (Worcestershire) 1.4.76, 14. Andrew Strauss (Middlesex) 2.3.77, 15. Marcus Trescothick (Somerset) 25.12.75.