Emerging Yorkshire seamer Ajmal Shahzad has been called up into a senior England squad for the first time by being selected in their tour party for UAE and Bangladesh next month.

The 24-year-old earned his call-up after impressing for the England Performance Squad in South Africa before Christmas and is one of three uncapped players on the tour alongside Kent off-spinner James Tredwell and Hampshire batsman Michael Carberry.

Shahzad has been given his opportunity after the selectors decided leading seamer James Anderson will be rested to undergo a specialist review and a rehabilitation programme on a right knee injury and follows a long list of International Sports Management cricketers who have progressed to international honours, including Andrew Flintoff, Graham Onions, Marcus Trescothick and Steve Harmison.

Shahzad has been included in both squads, which will compete in two Twenty20 Internationals against Pakistan in UAE and three one-day internationals and two Tests in Bangladesh. There will also be a change of captain for the Test series with Andrew Strauss being rested and allowing Alastair Cook to take charge for the first time, while Paul Collingwood will continue to lead the Twenty20 side.

“Andrew Strauss has provided outstanding leadership for the team in both forms of the game over the past 12 months and the selectors feel it is important that he takes a break ahead of an extremely busy programme of international cricket leading up to and including the Ashes series in Australia and the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2011,” explained National Selector Geoff Miller

“Our decision to appoint Alastair to the Test vice-captaincy last year clearly demonstrated the belief that he has the potential to be a future England captain. Alastair will now have an opportunity to develop his leadership skills by leading the side in both forms of cricket in Bangladesh and I know that he is excited by the challenge and looking forward to working closely with Andy Flower.

“We are also delighted to welcome Ajmal Shahzad to both squads for the first time. He enjoyed an excellent season with Yorkshire last year, made a strong impression while he was in South Africa with the EPP squad and is a bowler with the potential to make a real impact in international cricket.”