ENGLAND’S Test selectors sprang a few surprises by including four uncapped players in their squad for next month’s start to their three-Test tour of Pakistan.

As expected Kent’s Geraint Jones was named in the party as well as the 15-man limited overs squad, and was one of 12 to be handed a one year ECB central contracts after this summer’s 2-1 Ashes success over Australia.

But the Ashes-winning gloveman will face competition for his place after the selectors also named in-form Sussex wicketkeeper Matt Prior in the 17-man travelling party.

Jones said: "I’m having a few weeks off to rest, move house and play a bit of golf, but then it will be down to the hard fitness work and making sure I’m in top shape for Pakistan.

"I may meet up with Jack Russell to do a bit of technical work on my glovework and posture, but I expect to do much of that back in Kent with Paul Farbrace and Simon Willis who were both keepers in their day."

Former Kent off-spinner and batsman Alex Loudon is one of the shock Test tour inclusions.

The former Eton and Durham University player left Kent last year after his first full season in the first team citing a lack of faith in the Kent coaching set up for his reason for joining Warwickshire.

There was no place in the squad, however, for Jones’s Kent team-mate Rob Key, who must settle for a spot on the ECB National Academy tour.

Key, despite scoring 1,400 championship runs, has been dogged by groin and shoulder injuries of late that may yet require surgery before he can take up his Academy berth.

Hampshire duo Chris Tremlett and Shaun Udal, and Prior, who will understudy Jones, are the other uncapped players in the Test party.

Test squad: Michael Vaughan, James Anderson, Ian Bell, Paul Collingwood, Andrew Flintoff, Ashley Giles, Stephen Harmison, Matthew Hoggard, Geraint Jones, Simon Jones, Alex Loudon, Kevin Pietersen, Matthew Prior, Andrew Strauss, Chris Tremlett, Marcus Trescothick, Shaun Udal.

One-day squad: Michael Vaughan, James Anderson, Paul Collingwood, Andrew Flintoff, Ashley Giles, Stephen Harmison, Geraint Jones, Simon Jones, Kevin Pietersen, Matthew Prior, Liam Plunkett, Vikram Solanki, Andrew Strauss, Chris Tremlett, Marcus Trescothick.

Academy squad: Gareth Batty, Ravi Bopara, Stuart Broad, Rikki Clarke, Alastair Cook, James Dalrymple, Steven Davies, Mark Footitt, Ed Joyce, Robert Key, Sajid Mahmood, Liam Plunkett, Chris Read, Owais Shah, Tom Smith, Luke Wright, Mike Yardy.

ECB contracts: Michael Vaughan, Ian Bell, Paul Collingwood, Ashley Giles, Andrew Flintoff, Matthew Hoggard, Stephen Harmison, Geraint Jones, Simon Jones, Kevin Pietersen, Andrew Strauss, Marcus Trescothick.