England trio pass fitness test

England players Craig White, Ashley Giles and James Ormond will tour India this winter, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said on Wednesday.

The trio passed extensive fitness tests with England physio Dean Conway at Edgbaston.

Yorkshire all-rounder White, who slipped in the bath and injured his knee in September, and Leicestershire seamer Ormond, who has been suffering from tendinitis in his knee, bowled in the nets before being given the all-clear to tour.

Warwickshire left-arm spinner Giles has recovered from surgery to a long-term Achilles tendon injury but is not expected to play in England's warm-up matches in India, the ECB said.

"I've really made great strides with the injury in the last three weeks and everything has gone to plan apart from picking up an infection in the Achilles which prevented me training for a while," Giles said.

"But once I get out to India that will give me an opportunity to get used to playing on grass again and work on my fitness with Dean Conway and Nigel Stockill.

"I'm not going to put pressure on myself by saying when I think I will be ready to play again, but hopefully I can be in the frame for the first test."

England arrive in India on November 14 to start the tour which includes three tests, with the first beginning in Mohali on December 3.

They come back to England for Christmas and then return to India in January for a series of five one-day internationals.

Mail Cricket Editor