ENGLAND’S selectors backed their Ashes hunches about Chris Tremlett and Monty Panesar in the 16-man squad named yesterday to travel to Australia.

Tremlett’s height, bounce and reduced fragility and Panesar’s new-found maturity have convinced Geoff Miller and his colleagues they are worth their places on the plane.

England will also keep faith with Kevin Pietersen’s ability to revisit former glories as time runs short for the 2005 Ashes-winning batsman to rediscover his world-beating form.

Miller announced a largely predictable squad at the Brit Oval yesterday afternoon, otherwise most notable perhaps for the inclusion of Tim Bresnan among the seamers at the expense of his fellow Yorkshire all-rounder Ajmal Shahzad.

The national selector believes both 29-year-old Tremlett and 28-year-old Panesar have benefited from new surroundings, at Surrey and Sussex respectively, this season.

‘‘They both have new areas, and we have watched them pretty constantly,’’ said Miller.

‘‘Chris Tremlett has led the attack really well at Surrey as opposed to being just an ordinary bowler at Hampshire.

‘‘He has taken the responsibility, and the kind of conditions we will no doubt get in Australia will suit him – so he got the nod.’’ Tremlett played the last of his three Tests more than three years ago, while Panesar has not been chosen by his country since the first match of last summer’s Ashes in Cardiff.

But both have made persuasive cases with around 50 first-class wickets each this summer.

Tremlett is more likely to make the team as part of a pace attack which seems sure to feature James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Steven Finn. Panesar will not displace Graeme Swann.

But Miller said: ‘‘Monty went away and developed his game.

‘‘He was having a bad time and he appreciated that but has produced the goods for Sussex. We now have two quality spinners.

‘‘I think as a person he has developed.

‘‘There were times when you felt that he wasn’t thinking for himself, but I think that has changed.

‘‘He has been given that responsibility and he has responded to that.’’ As for Pietersen, the hope is that – after being dropped from the NatWest Series squad in favour of a loan spell of first-class cricket at Surrey, which was a partial success at best – he can make the most of the stint he has arranged before the Ashes with his native KwaZulu Natal.

Asked whether he is convinced Pietersen’s loss of form is merely a blip rather than the start of a terminal decline, at the age of 30, Miller was equivocal.

‘‘You never know that, but we know how hard he works at his game and how hard he works at his business and how great a player he can be,’’ he said.

‘‘There is no magic answer to it. It’s just a matter of putting in the hard work and making it right – and I’m sure his attitude towards it will put it right. He’s had a lull in form, and we accept that.”

England’s batsmen may collectively have plenty to prove this winter, but it seems the pace attack - and specifically the rangy trio of Finn, Broad and Tremlett - are part of a master plan.

Miller said: ‘‘There are plans ahead.

‘‘Size obviously does matter – there are going to be some bouncy wickets over there, and we obviously have cover in the bouncy areas.

‘‘But we also have people who can swing as well, so there is a good cross-section there - and everything has been taken into consideration.

The planning has been a long time in the making.’’ England Ashes Test squad for the tour of Australia: AJ Strauss (capt), AN Cook, JM Anderson, IR Bell, TT Bresnan, SCJ Broad, PD Collingwood, SM Davies (wkt), ST Finn, EJG Morgan, MS Panesar, KP Pietersen, MJ Prior (wkt), GP Swann, CT Tremlett, IJL Trott.