Gough: I'm shocked and so are team-mates

Darren Gough claims his England team-mates are as shocked as he is by the decision to drop him from their one-day squad this winter.

Gough was man of the match at Lord's two months ago with figures of two for nine from seven overs as South Africa were thrashed in the NatWest Series final and he clearly expected to be in the party for six internationals in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

Instead, England's selectors want Jimmy Anderson, James Kirtley and Richard Johnson to contest the pace bowling places while their all-time leading one-day wicket-taker stays at home.

"I've had phone calls and the players are with me. They think I should have been picked," said the 32-year-old Yorkshireman who retired from Test cricket in mid-summer in the hope of prolonging his one-day international career.

Chairman of selectors David Graveney claims Gough has not been written off for good and could go to the Caribbean during the second half of the winter programme. But he added: "As part of our planning for the 2007 World Cup, we need to look at other options."

That doesn't wash with Gough, though. "I think the selectors have got themselves into a pickle because of all the bowlers they've used this summer and I was the easy target," he said. "I'm bitterly disappointed. But I won't sulk."