Napier included in Lions one-day squad

Graham Napier, the Essex allrounder, will stay back in New Zealand to represent the England Lions for the forthcoming three-match one-day series against New Zealand A. Napier is still in the middle of his winter stint with Wellington and his impressive form with the ball has earned him a call-up to England's fringe squad.

Players from the Lions squad were expected to be picked for the England one-day series in West Indies and Napier said he would relish another chance to make it to the senior team, having toured India and Malaysia with England A in 2003-04.

"Not many players would get a second opportunity at this stage in their career but I think the whole reason I have got to this point again has been that I've not given England much thought over the last couple of years," Napier was quoted in his own website www.grahamnapier.com.

"Perhaps the thought of wanting to break into the full England side began to distract me a few years back so I decided to just relax and have fun in the middle. It's got me back to this point so now it's up to me to make the most of this second chance."

Napier is currently the leading wicket-taker for Wellington in both the State Championship and State Shield competitions, with 14 and 21 wickets respectively. He also holds the world record of hitting 16 sixes in a Twenty20 game.

The first one-dayer starts on March 13 at Fitzherbert Park in Palmerston North.