Somerset captain Ian Blackwell is off to India this weekend as a member of the full England Test squad. Blackie has been on standby for Ashley Giles, who has yet to make a full recovery from a hip operation.

Ian said “This is really fantastic news for me. I am really thrilled to be given this chance and I am simply raring to go. It has always been my ambition to play for my country at the highest possible level so going out to India with the Test squad presents me with this opportunity. I have already played in one day internationals but to play Test cricket for England would be a dream come true and this is the next step towards me achieving that.”