Graham Thorpe ended a year-long exile on Sunday when he was recalled to the England squad to face South Africa in the fifth and final Test at The Oval starting on Thursday.

The Surrey left-hander has been on the sidelines since announcing he was taking a complete break from cricket following last year's Lord's Test against India in July in the aftermath of his marriage break-up. He also withdrew from last year's Ashes tour.

But his talent and experience at the highest level has persuaded the selectors to include him in the 13-man squad.

He comes in as a straight replacement for Nasser Hussain, who broke his left toe while batting during last week's fourth Test defeat at Headingley.

Hussein is not expected to play again this season.

"It feels very good," Thorpe told BBC radio. "It's great to get an opportunity now and to be fit and firing. It's the last game and we need to do well in it.

"I don't really feel that I've got anything to lose by playing in this game."

The only other change to the team beaten at Headingley was the inclusion of off-spinner Gareth Batty in place of seamer James Kirtley, who is out with shin splints.

Thorpe is regarded as England's best batsman. The 34-year-old has played 77 Tests and averages 41.87. He has also played 82 one-dayers.

England, who trail 2-1 in the five-match series, have blooded a string of younger batsmen in his absence but without success.

The match will also be wicketkeeper-batsman Alec Stewart's last for England after a 14-year Test career which has seen him scored 8,425 runs, eighth in the all-time list.

England had been due to name their squad on Friday but delayed the announcement for 48 hours because of injury concerns.

"We've chosen Graham Thorpe as a like-for-like replacement for Nasser Hussain," explained chairman of selectors David Graveney.

"Graham is a proven performer at Test level and I'm sure that he will relish the challenge."

Bowler Martin Bicknell was included in the squad, although he must undergo a fitness test on a hamstring problem. He was bothered by long-standing hamstring trouble during his Test return last week.

England's pace attack has struggled throughout the series, with Andrew Caddick unavailable because of a back problem while Matthew Hoggard is still not fit following knee surgery.

Steve Harmison, overlooked from the Headingley starting line-up, is almost certain to regain his place in the starting line-up but the selectors decided against the return of Somerset seamer Richard Johnson, who has been plagued by knee trouble ever since the end of the one-day triangular tournament mid-way through the summer.

South Africa, ranked second in the world, won the fourth Test at Headingley to take control of a series they have dominated from the outset.

SQUAD

Michael Vaughan (captain), Gareth Batty, Kabir Ali, James Anderson, Martin Bicknell, Graham Thorpe, Mark Butcher, Andrew Flintoff, Ashley Giles, Stephen Harmison, Ed Smith, Alec Stewart, Marcus Trescothick.