SEVEN Yorkshire players have been selected by England at senior and Performance Programme level for tours to Sri Lanka and South Africa prior to Christmas – but Gary Ballance's name is a surprise omission.

Ballance has been left out of the national senior squad for their seven-match one-day series against Sri Lanka, starting on November 9, in place of James Taylor. But Headingley colleague Joe Root is in.

Jonny Bairstow, Alex Lees, Adam Lyth and Adil Rashid will all take part in a three-week batting and spin camp in Sri Lanka from November 21, although Rashid will travel early to help the senior squad prepare.

Jack Brooks and Liam Plunkett have also been selected for a bowlers' training camp in Potchefstroom in South Africa. An England Lions tour of South Africa is also planned in the New Year, for which the squad has yet to be announced.

The six are part of an overall 19-man EPP squad, which will be led by Andy Flower and starts with a training programme at the National Performance Centre in Loughborough.

Although the inclusion of Bairstow and Plunkett was expected, Lees, Lyth, Rashid and Brooks have been rewarded for exceptional summers.

Plunkett said: "It's massive for the guys and well deserved. The lads have all stood up at some point in the season – and Lythy and Leesy have been unbelievable at the top of the order.

"Look at Jack, who is close to 70 wickets. I guess if some of these lads didn't get picked, you'd be asking questions."