By Jon Steer
January 27 2006

Liam Plunkett has been named in both the test and one-day squads alongside Paul Collingwood and Steve Harmison for England's tour to India. It is an amazing achievement for Durham who are the only county to have three players in either squad. The England management were keen to praise the fine start that Liam had made in Pakistan. Commenting on the selection, chairman of selectors David Graveney said: "Liam Plunkett has made a promising start to his international career and is an emerging player with great potential."

Liam will have to work hard to add to his single test cap. With Harmison, Jones, Hoggard and all rounder Flintoff also in the squad plus up to three spinners the competition for places in the starting eleven will with tough.

Liam is more likely to appear in the one-day games where his half century in his first international innings will add to his attraction.

All three Durham players will be in India until the middle of April and will miss at least one championship game and maybe more depending on rest requirements from the ECB.

England Test squad to tour India

* Michael Vaughan (Yorkshire, capt)
* Ian Bell (Warwickshire)
* Paul Collingwood (Durham)
* Andrew Flintoff (Lancashire)
* Ashley Giles (Warwickshire)
* Stephen Harmison (Durham)
* Matthew Hoggard (Yorkshire)
* Geraint Jones (Kent)
* Simon Jones (Glamorgan)
* Kevin Pietersen (Hampshire)
* Liam Plunkett (Durham)
* Matthew Prior (Sussex)
* Andrew Strauss (Middlesex)
* Marcus Trescothick (Somerset)
* Shaun Udal (Hampshire)

England one-day squad to tour India

* Michael Vaughan (Yorkshire, capt)
* Kabir Ali (Worcestershire)
* James Anderson (Lancashire)
* Ian Bell (Warwickshire)
* Ian Blackwell (Somerset)
* Paul Collingwood (Durham)
* Andrew Flintoff (Lancashire)
* Ashley Giles (Warwickshire)
* Stephen Harmison (Durham)
* Geraint Jones (Kent)
* Simon Jones (Glamorgan)
* Kevin Pietersen (Hampshire)
* Matthew Prior (Sussex)
* Liam Plunkett (Durham)
* Andrew Strauss (Middlesex)
* Marcus Trescothick (Somerset)

England's tour dates:

* Feb 12: Depart London Heathrow
* Feb 13 - Arrive in Mumbai
* Feb 18-20 - three-day practice match, CCI Mumbai (involving all England players in the squad)
* Feb 23-25 - three-day first class match, Baroda v President's XI
* March 1-5 - 1st Test, Nagpur
* March 9-13 - 2nd Test, Mohali
* March 18-22 - 3rd Test, Mumbai
* March 25 - one-day tour match, Jaipur
* March 28 - 1st ODI, Delhi
* March 31 - 2nd ODI, Faridabad
* April 3 - 3rd ODI, Goa
* April 6 - 4th ODI, Cochin
* April 9 - 5th ODI, Guwahati
* April 12 - 6th ODI, Jamshedpur
* April 15 - 7th ODI, Indore