England discards James Foster and Sajid Mahmood are back in the team for this summer's 25-man performance squad.

Essex wicketkeeper Foster has not been involved with the full England side since the 2002-03 Ashes, while Lancashire fast bowler Mahmood has not played since the 2007 World Cup.

National selector Geoff Miller said: "They are pressing for a place in the England squads and we will watch them with interest when they play for the MCC against Durham at Lord's this weekend."

Nottinghamshire all-rounder Samit Patel, disciplined on fitness grounds this winter, has also been included along with Robert Key, who retains his place from the 2008 list and is a candidate to lead the World Twenty20 challenge in June.

As well as the 12 men centrally contracted and the seven players on increment contracts, there are six others listed including uncapped Yorkshire all-rounder Adil Rashid.

"The England performance squad is designed to allow us to monitor the development of international players and better prepare them for the demands of the international game," added Miller.

"In the case of someone like Amjad Khan, who impressed everyone when he joined the latter part of the Caribbean tour, it allows us to monitor his progress after injury.

"The selectors can name up to 30 players in the EPS, but we have decided to keep five places vacant at present in order to give ourselves greater flexibility and we will reserve the right to add further players to the squad if their performances in domestic cricket merit it."

England squad: Tim Ambrose, James Anderson, Ian Bell, Ravi Bopara, Stuart Broad, Paul Collingwood, Alastair Cook, Andrew Flintoff, James Foster, Stephen Harmison, Robert Key, Amjad Khan, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Sajid Mahmood, Monty Panesar, Samit Patel, Kevin Pietersen, Matthew Prior, Adil Rashid, Owais Shah, Andrew Strauss, Ryan Sidebottom, Graeme Swann, Michael Vaughan, Luke Wright.