WORCESTERSHIRE captain Vik-ram Solanki has been chosen to skipper the England 'A' squad for the forthcoming five-week tour to the West Indies next month.

Being elected to lead the side will go some way to making up for the bitter blow of missing out on a place in the full squad.

And, it is widely regarded, Solanki will be the first player the selectors turn to if one of the batsmen in the England one-day squad picks up an injury.

New Road colleagues Kabir Ali and Gareth Batty will join Solanki in the 'A' squad.

The trio have all tasted cricket at the highest level in the full England side and will be keen to impress on the 'A' tour as they try and force their way back into the reckoning.

However, this may be an easier task for Solanki and Kabir than for Batty. The off-spinner was Ashley Giles' understudy prior to the recent tour of Pakistan, but Hampshire's Shaun Udal usurped him for the trip to the sub-continent.

The England selectors have included uncapped Northamptonshire spinner Monty Panesar for the India tour, suggesting Batty has slipped further down the spinners pecking order.

Mark Newton, the County's chief executive, was keen to highlight the benefits to be gained for Worcestershire from Solanki leading the 'A' side.

He said: "Obviously it is a disappointment for Vikram not to be named in the full one-day squad, but we thought this was likely to be the case.

"That said, we are also delighted three Worcestershire players are involved with the England set-up.

"Vikram will gain vital captaincy experience from leading the 'A' squad in the West Indies and this can only be a positive thing for Worcestershire.

"I know he was very proud to be asked to captain the team and he feels it is a great opportunity as it will help to expand his captaincy experience.

"Playing on the 'A' tour will also act as a great pre-season for the three players involved and they should be right on top of their game come the start of the season."