Foster and Mahmood are selected after impressing last season

Lancashire's Sajid Mahmood and Essex keeper James Foster have been named in a 25-man England Performance Squad for this summer's international season.

Mahmood has not featured for England since the 2007 World Cup but took 35 wickets for Lancashire last season.

Foster played the last of his seven Tests in the 2002-03 Ashes but scored over 1,500 first class runs in 2008.

Michael Vaughan is selected despite not having played international cricket since relinquishing the Test captaincy.

Nottinghamshire's Samit Patel is in the squad despite being sent home from the West Indies for fitness reasons.

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Also included are Kent pace bowler Amjad Khan and Yorkshire spinner Adil Rashid, who was selected for the recent tour of the Caribbean but remains the only uncapped player in the performance squad.

National Selector Geoff Miller, said: "Two players who have earned the right to be in the squad are James Foster of Essex and Lancashire's Sajid Mahmood.

"They are pressing for a place in the England squads and we will watch them and Rashid with interest when they play for the MCC against Durham at Lord's this weekend.

"In the case of someone like Amjad Khan, who impressed everyone when he joined the latter part of the Caribbean tour, it allows us to monitor his progress after injury."

England Performance Squad: Ambrose (Warwicks), Anderson (Lancs), Bell (Warwicks), Bopara (Essex), Broad (Notts), Collingwood (Durham), Cook (Essex), Flintoff (Lancs), Foster (Essex), Harmison (Durham), Key (Kent), Khan (Kent), Mascarenhas (Hants), Mahmood (Lancs), Panesar (Northants), Patel (Notts), Pietersen (Hants), Prior (Sussex), Rashid (Yorks), Shah (Middx), Strauss (Middx), Sidebottom (Notts), Swann (Notts), Vaughan (Yorks), Wright (Sussex).

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