Bicknell, who played two Tests against Australia in 1993, has been named in a 13-man squad which includes two changes.

Bicknell is joined by debutant Kabir Ali who was included in last winter's one-day squad, and they will replace Lancashire's Glen Chapple and Worcestershire off-spinner Gareth Batty.

Chapple has not been considered after sustaining an ankle injury in his county's costly championship defeat by Sussex at Hove this week while Batty has been overlooked for Headingley's traditional seamer-friendly surface.

Durham fast bowler Steve Harmison has also been included although England are expected to put him through a rigorous fitness test at Headingley on Wednesday after he sustained a calf problem during the third Test victory at Trent Bridge.

Bicknell and Kabir are only expected to be considered for the starting line-up at Headingley if Harmison fails his fitness test with England likely to keep faith with their winning side from Nottingham.

"I would assume that if Harmison was fit we would be unchanged, but the indications given to me are that there are serious doubts about the way he was moving around here and 48 hours is not a very long time to recover from that sort of injury," explained chairman of selectors David Graveney.

"His calf is the same as it was yesterday but it would be foolhardy of us to send him into a Test match where there was any semblance of doubt about his fitness because if he broke down we would be putting a lot of responsibility on only three bowlers."

Asked about Bicknell's call-up at the age of 34, Graveney added: "He has been one of the more unluckiest guys not to have been selected.

"He's been a very consistent performer for Surrey and he has been an integral part of their success over the last few years.

"He's a very experienced performer and we do have a very young attack, but if he plays or Kabir Ali plays the number of caps between them is not that many, but it's not the age it's how you bowl that matters."

England's squad for the fourth npower Test against South Africa at Headingley, which was announced:

MP Vaughan (Yorkshire, capt) Age 28 Tests 33, ME Trescothick (Somerset) 27/36, MA Butcher (Surrey) 30/55, N Hussain (Essex) 35/85, ET Smith (Kent) 26/1, AJ Stewart (Surrey, wkt) 40/131, A Flintoff (Lancashire) 25/24, AF Giles (Warwickshire) 30/24, Kabir Ali (Worcestershire) 22/0, SJ Harmison (Durham) 24/10, JM Anderson (Lancashire) 21/5, RJ Kirtley (Sussex) 28/1, D Bicknell (Surrey) 34/2.

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