J&K all-rounder Parvez Rassol makes India 'A' cut

    
Rassol finished on top of both batting and bowling charts for J&K with 594 runs, including two centuries, and 33 wickets.
    
Rassol, thus, became the first cricketer from the state to have got a call in the India 'A' team.
    
Rassol was detained for questioning three years ago in Bangalore in connection with a suspected presence of explosives at the Chinnaswamy stadium ahead of a Champions League match. But he was given a clean chit a few days later.
    
"It's the best news I have ever got. I was one of the better performers for my team in this season's Ranji Trophy. I had produced good all-round performnaces. So, at the back of mind I was hopeful of making it to the India A team," an ecstatic Rassol told news agency after his selection.
    
"The fact that J&K's performance in Ranji this year has been better has also helped my case. I have been playing first class cricket since 2008 but this has been my breakthrough year."
    
Apart from Rassol, another notable inclusion in the team is out-of-favour India pacer S Sreesanth, who last represented the senior team during India's tour of England in 2011.
    
Sreesanth, who made a comeback to the Kerala Ranji team after spending more than a year recuperating from a toe-injury, has picked up 10 wickets from four games he has played this season.

The Abhinav Mukund-led side, however, doesn't include any player from the sides that have qualified for the quarterfinals of the ongoing Ranji Trophy.
    
Madhya Pradesh seamer Ishwar Pandey, the top-wicket taker in Ranji Trophy this season, has also been rewarded for his good showing with the ball.
    
The first 50-over warm-up game will be played at the Palam Cricket Ground. England will also take on Delhi in their second warm-up game at Ferozshah Kotla ground on January 8 prior to the ODI series against India.
    
India and England will play a five-match ODI series, starting January 11 in Rajkot.
    
India 'A' squad: Abhinav Mukund (C), Murali Vijay, Robin Bist, Kedar Jadhav, Ashok Menaria, Rohit Motwani (Wk), Jalaj Saxena, Akshay Darekar, Ishwar Pandey, S Sreesanth, Rishi Dhawan, Paras Dogra, Mohit Sharma, Rasool Parvez.