Nottinghamshire Director of Cricket MickNewell welcomes back Ryan Sidebottom for Sunday's Friends Provident Trophyclash with Leicestershire - and admits it could be a rare outing for theleft-arm seamer.
Friends Provident Trophy North Conference
June 3: Leicestershire Foxes v NottsOutlaws
Start time: 10.45am
The 29-year-old was ordered to rest by theECB after claiming match figures of 8-86 on his international comeback againstWest Indies at Headingley last week, six years after his first appearance inEngland colours.
But he is available for the 50-over fixtureat Oakham School, with Notts looking to maintain their push for a top twofinish in the North Conference and book their place in the semi-finals of thecompetition.
Leicestershire still have an outside chanceof qualification themselves but a Notts victory would almost certainlyeliminate them from the race.
And Sidebottom's return is sure to boost aconfident Notts dressing room after they picked up their fourth straight win inthe competition by thrashing Derbyshire in the rain-reduced meeting on BankHoliday Monday.
Newell said: "Sid had an exceptional matchat Headingley and exploited the conditions very well. I think he did exactlywhat the England hierarchy wanted him to do.
"It was top quality stuff and in thecircumstances I'd like to assume that he will be involved for the rest of theTest series.
"It's up to him to keep putting thepressure to be selected, but I've also said in the past that I believe he wouldbe an excellent choice in one-day cricket as well.
"If he continues to be successful, then whoknows? We may not be seeing him around Trent Bridge too often this season."
With AJ Harris still at least a week awayfrom returning to fitness, Newell signed former Somerset and England A seamerSimon Francis until the end of the season as extra bowling cover inSidebottom's absence.
And Newell admitted that it's not been easyto pick his best XI from a squad where so many players are firing and said:"People claim it's a nice position to be in but I don't agree at all.
"It's not easy to go and tell people likeSamit Patel that he's been dropped from the Championship side when he's scoredtwo hundreds in four games.
"And Jason Gallian wasn't even in the squadfor the Bank Holiday Monday game with Derbyshire after scoring 97 in theprevious match against Scotland.
"But it's up to me to get the balance rightand I do see it as important that we have a group of 14 or 15 players to fitinto the side in either format of the game."
Squad:
Shafayat, Fleming (capt), Wagh, Hussey,Patel, Read (wkt), Ealham, Swann, Franks, Clough, Shreck, Sidebottom, Ferley.