Fast bowler Darren Gough said he was an "easy target" after being omitted Wednesday from England's one-day squad to tour Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

"I'm bitterly disappointed. They've picked that many bowlers this summer they had to fit them in somewhere so they've shared them out and I was the easy target to miss out," Yorkshire's Gough told Sky Sports.

Gough, 32, was a mainstay of England's home one-day successes against Pakistan and in the following triangular tournament with South Africa and Zimbabwe earlier this season.

In all he took 14 wickets at 22.42 having missed most of the previous two years of international cricket with a knee injury.

Later in the season he retired from Test cricket but insisted he was still fit enough for one-day internationals where bowlers are restricted to a maximum of 10 overs-per-match.

In his last limited-overs international appearance, against South Africa in July, Gough was named man-of-the-match after taking two wickets for nine runs in seven overs during England's triangular series final win at Lord's.

"In one-day cricket in the last game I was man-of-the-match and I think a lot of people expected me to be still in the one-day squad because I'm still a good one-day bowler," added Gough who in 121 limited-overs internationals has taken 188 wickets at 24.96.

"I expected to be picked," admitted Gough who did not sound convinced by the telephone call he had received from England's chairman of selectors, David Graveney.

"He told me I'm not out of the West Indies (where England play seven one-day internationals in April and May next year) and they just wanted to have a look at other bowlers for Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

"I asked him if that was the end for me but he said definitely not and I'm still in contention for the West Indies so we'll have to wait and see, but I'm not holding my breath."

Asked if he felt like a scapegoat Gough agreed and said: "With all the bowlers they've picked this summer they've got themselves into something of a pickle and the older one is the one that misses out, it always is.

"They've gone for youth but that can be a dangerous game."

Gough added he'd been pleased by the number of supportive calls he had received from his fellow players.

"They were saying they thought I'd have been picked and were surprised that I wasn't.

"I know the players are with me and they think I should have been picked - that's all that matters to me," Gough insisted.

Earlier Wednesday, Graveney maintained Gough was still a part of England's plans but said that the selectors had to look ahead towards the 2007 World Cup.

Graveney added: "We need to put some of our younger and inexperienced bowlers under a bit more pressure."