Cricket-England drop wicketkeeper Jones

LONDON, July 31 (Reuters) - England selectors today dropped wicketkeeper Geraint Jones when they named a 12-man squad for the third test against Pakistan starting on Friday.

Nottinghamshire's Chris Read replaces Jones behind the stumps.

The Kent player's omission means Read will return to the test side for the first time since playing in the first three tests of England's tour of the Caribbean in 2004.

Chairman of selectors David Graveney said: ''Geraint has kept very well this summer, but he has been short of runs and the selectors feel that this is the right time to make a change.'' Jones, who has failed to reach 20 with the bat in his last five tests, said: ''I have been very pleased with my wicketkeeping this summer but I am also conscious of the fact that I am in the side as a batsman as well as a keeper.'' Read said: ''I felt that I kept well in the West Indies two years ago, but I knew that if was I going to get back in the test side I would have to work on my batting because I hadn't scored enough runs.'' England lead the four-match series 1-0.

Squad: Andrew Strauss (capt), Ian Bell, Paul Collingwood, Alastair Cook, Stephen Harmison, Matthew Hoggard, Jon Lewis, Sajid Mahmood, Kevin Pietersen, Monty Panesar, Chris Read, Marcus Trescothick.

Reuters AY GC2047