Panesar test pick not a certainty, says Fletcher

LONDON, Nov 17 (Reuters) England spinner Monty Panesar may not play in the first Ashes test against Australia in Brisbane next week despite indications he would be picked, coach Duncan Fletcher said today.

Panesar impressed on the first day of the tour match against South Australia in what was meant to be the England line-up to start the Ashes. However, the pull-out of opener Marcus Trescothick with a stress-related illness could change matters.

''We wanted Monty if Trescothick was there because Trescothick added depth. Now, we might have to re-think it,'' Fletcher told the BBC.

''We're not going to say that side is cast in stone. The major factor is to see what the balance of the side looks like.'' Fellow spinner Ashley Giles, who has not played test cricket in a year because of a hip problem, is a better batting option than Panesar and would come in at number eight.

England may be forced to make a change to their test team in any case with paceman Steve Harmison a doubt after he withdrew from the team to face South Australia because of a side strain.

REUTERS SAM RAI1850