Steve Finn has, as expected, been named in England’s 17-man squad for the Ashes series in Australia.

The Watford-born Middlesex bowler did not feature in the home series after playing in England’s 14-run triumph in the first Test at Trent Bridge in July but the pace and bounce he can generate is expected to be a useful weapon as Alastair Cook’s men go in search of a fourth consecutive Ashes triumph, something that has not been achieved by an England side since 1890.

The Middlesex pace man played in the first three Tests of England’s last tour to Australia in 2010/11, taking 14 wickets at an average of 33, including six for 125 in the first innings of the opening Test in Brisbane.

The England squad features three uncapped players at Test level – Yorkshire batsman Gary Ballance, Warwickshire fast bowler Boys Rankin and Durham all-rounder Ben Stokes – as well as a further three players who did not feature in an XI in this summer’s 3-0 victory, Michael Carberry, Monty Panesar and Chris Tremlett.

National selector Geoff Miller said: “We are fully aware that the Ashes series will once again be fiercely contested and that this squad will need to work extremely hard and play to a very high level to retain the Ashes and we believe we have selected a squad capable of doing just that.

"As we have seen in previous series we will need all members of the squad ready to step up and make vital contributions throughout the five Tests and we feel that all 17 players have the ability to do that.

"There is real competition for places with both bat and ball and we feel that we have provided Andy Flower and Alastair Cook with a well balanced squad.”

The series gets under way in Brisbane on November 21 with the other four Tests to be played in Adelaide (December 5), Perth (December 13), Melbourne (December 25) and Sydney (January 2).

England squad: Alastair Cook (Essex) (Capt); Matt Prior (Sussex) (VC); James Anderson (Lancashire); Jonathan Bairstow (Yorkshire); Gary Ballance (Yorkshire); Ian Bell (Warwickshire); Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire); Michael Carberry (Hampshire); Steven Finn (Middlesex); Monty Panesar (Sussex/Essex); Kevin Pietersen (Surrey); Boyd Rankin (Warwickshire); Joe Root (Yorkshire); Ben Stokes (Durham); Graeme Swann (Nottinghamshire); Chris Tremlett (Surrey); Jonathan Trott (Warwickshire).