Andre Nel's experience of English conditions has helped the South Africa fast bowler to regain his place in the Test squad. South Africa will play four Test matches against England in July and August. Nel is added to the 14-man party that toured India this spring, from which he was controversially omitted because of South Africa's race quota of having six coloured players in every tour party.

Nel, 30, played three first-class games and four one-day matches for Essex this season, taking 13 wickets and getting two thirds of the way to an automatic suspension for disciplinary breaches before joining Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL) last weekend.

He is a whole-hearted, if often hot-headed bowler, who took 13 wickets in three Tests at home against West Indies last winter to have suggested that he was flowering, before losing his place. There were reports that he was considering turning his back on international cricket.

Joubert Strydom, the South Africa selection committee convenor, said that they had opted for an extra fast bowler to give Dale Steyn and Makhaya Ntini, who have been bowling in the IPL, more rest. The squad leaves for England on June 24.

Tour party and dates

Test Squad

G C Smith (captain), H M Amla, M V Boucher, A B de Villiers, J P Duminy, P L Harris, J H Kallis, N D McKenzie, M Morkel, A Nel, M Ntini, R J Peterson, A G Prince, D W Steyn, M Zondeki.

Itinerary

June 29-July 1: Tour match v Somerset (at Taunton). July 4-6: Tour match v Middlesex (at Uxbridge CC). July 10-14: First Test v England (at Lord’s). July 18-22: Second Test (at Headingley Carnegie). July 30-Aug 3: Third Test (at Edgbaston). Aug 7-11: Fourth Test (at the Brit Oval).