The unexpected selection of Darren Pattinson to make his Test debut for England yesterday, chosen ahead of several more experienced candidates, has left Matthew Hoggard fearing that his Test career could be over. Hoggard, 31, who has not played for England since he was dropped for the second Test in New Zealand in March, had been hoping for a recall at Headingley Carnegie, his home ground, but Pattinson's selection has made him wonder whether he will ever return to the England side.

“I'm not holding my breath, ” Hoggard said on BBC Radio's Test Match Special. “At the moment, I'm thinking it's over and looking to see what I'm going to do in the future. I was a bit upset when I turned on the TV this morning, found out that Ryan Sidebottom had failed a medical and Pattinson had got the nod.”

Only five England bowlers have taken more than Hoggard's 248 wickets in 67 Tests, but after England's defeat in the first Test against New Zealand in Hamilton he was dropped along with Stephen Harmison. He was included in a 12-man squad for the first Test against New Zealand at Lord's but was ruled out for three weeks shortly afterwards with a broken thumb and has not featured since.

“I'm fit and I'm raring to go and it would have been lovely to play a Test here in front of my home crowd at Headingley,” Hoggard said. “But I've got my fingers crossed that I get the chance to pull on an England shirt again and take a few more wickets.”

After playing 40 consecutive Tests for England from March 2004 to December 2006, Hoggard has suffered a series of injuries since a side strain forced the Yorkshire seam bowler to miss the fifth Test against Australia at Sydney in January 2007.