WORCESTERSHIRE batsman Kadeer Ali and off-spinner Shaftab Khalid are included in England's 'A' squad for their forthcoming tour of Malaysia and India.

The duo have been training at Loughborough with the England Academy in readiness for the tour which starts later this month.

Kent batsman Ed Smith has been handed the chance to rejuvenate his international career by being included.

Smith, 26, who played three Test matches against South Africa last summer before being dropped for the tours of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, joins this winter's Academy intake in a 15-man squad.

The party also includes Glamorgan paceman Simon Jones, who hopes to prove his fitness for England's Test series in the West Indies in March. He has only played two county second XI games since damaging knee ligaments 14 months ago.

Nottinghamshire's South African-born batsman Kevin Pietersen also travels despite not qualifying for the full England team until later this year. Gloucestershire's Alex Gidman captains the side.

The schedule will see the team play three one-day matches against India 'A' as well as participating in India's first class competition, The Duleep Trophy.