ESSEX opener Alastair Cook is the shock inclusion in England's squad for the $20million Stanford Super Series.

The 23-year-old has been named in a 15-man squad, despite being left out of England's team for the 4-0 One-Day International series win over South Africa last month and scoring just 25 runs on his only two Twenty20 International appearances.

The Essex player, who is widely-regarded as a Test batsman, has played just five Twenty20 matches for the county, scoring 50 runs at an average of just 10.

Despite those statistics Cook - along with Essex team-mate Ravi Bopara - is now guaranteed a share of the £11.5 million jackpot should England overcome Texan billionaire Sir Allen Stanford's All-Stars in Antigua on November 1.

Should England win, each of the 11 triumphant players will pocket £500,000 apiece, while an additional £1million will be shared between the four other squad members and backroom staff.

The remaining £3.5million will be divided between the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and West Indies Cricket Board.

England will warm-up for the big-money showdown with fixtures against Twenty20 Cup winners Middlesex Crusaders and Stanford Twenty20 champions Trinidad and Tobago on October 26 and 28 respectively.

The same 15 players will also represent England in their seven-match one-day series in India in November.

England (from): Pietersen (Hampshire, capt), Anderson (Lancashire), Bell (Warwickshire), Bopara (Essex), Broad (Nottinghamshire), Collingwood (Durham), Cook (Essex), Flintoff (Lancashire), Harmison (Durham), Patel (Nottinghamshire), Prior (Sussex, wkt), Shah (Middlesex), Swann (Nottinghamshire), Sidebottom (Nottinghamshire), Wright (Sussex).