HAMPSHIRE'S Michael Carberry has been chosen for the England Lions squad for next month’s tour match against the West Indies.

Nottinghamshire batsman James Taylor, one of the most highly-rated batsman on the county circuit, will skipper the Lions.

Taylor was recently surprisingly left out of the 26-man England Performance Squad for 2012.

He has been in indifferent form in his first season at Trent Bridge but will see this as a big opportunity to impress against the tourists.

He is joined in the Lions' 12-man squad by Test caps Carberry and Samit Patel, who played both games on the recent tour of Sri Lanka.

Yorkshire wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow and all-rounder Ben Stokes are also given the chance to progress their international ambitions, as is Somerset's Nick Compton, who has enjoyed a prolific start to the season.

Uncapped Kent seamer Matt Coles is also involved, as is Lancashire's left-arm spinner Simon Kerrigan.

National selector Geoff Miller said: "Many of the players included in this squad have worked hard on our overseas tours and training camps over the winter or have shown good early season form.

"West Indies will no doubt be challenging opposition and this fixture will present an opportunity for players to show that they are capable of taking the next step and representing England at Test level in the future."

England Lions squad: J Taylor (Nottinghamshire, captain), J Bairstow (Yorkshire, wkt), J Brooks (Northamptonshire), M Carberry (Hampshire) M Coles (Kent), N Compton (Somerset), J Dernbach (Surrey), S Kerrigan (Lancashire), S Meaker (Surrey) S Patel (Nottinghamshire), J Root (Yorkshire), B Stokes (Durham).