DICKIE BIRD has expressed his annoyance at England’s team selection for the opening Test against the West Indies, urging the selectors to consider making the four Yorkshire players omitted available for county duty.

Six White Rose stars are in the Caribbean and therefore unavailable for the first three LV= County Championship matches, starting with the ongoing clash against Worcestershire at New Road.

But only two of them in Gary Ballance and Joe Root have been selected to play in Antigua, leaving Jonny Bairstow, Adam Lyth, Liam Plunkett and Adil Rashid to carry the drinks.

With Yorkshire’s weakened top order failing to stamp their authority on the Worcestershire clash at 298-9 from 82 overs in reply to 311 at close on day two, the unavailability issue was brought into focus.

The county’s president made his feelings known to England’s national selector James Whitaker, who was present in the Worcestershire committee room yesterday.

And Yorkshire are expected to ask for leg-spinning all-rounder Rashid back, with fit again Moeen Ali set to fly out to the Caribbean to join James Tredwell in the spin department after this round of county fixtures.

"It's good for the club that six have been picked for England," said Bird. "But if they are not playing, send them home. They'd be better off playing for Yorkshire.

"I'm disappointed that with six out there, only two of them are playing. They could be back playing for their county and, if there was an injury, they could get them out there on a plane in seven hours.

“It could cost us (the title) in the long run."

Bird’s comments regarding the title may seem premature in mid-April, but with matches against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge and Warwickshire at Headingley to come in the next fortnight, these are testing times for the defending champions.

There is set to be another absence, this time due to injury, because Ryan Sidebottom retired hurt after tea with a calf problem, and he is “very, very unlikely” to bowl again in the match, according to coach Jason Gillespie.

He must now be a serious doubt for Trent Bridge on Sunday having pulled up after tea while attempting a leisurely single.

Sidebottom returned to the crease inside the last two overs of the day, and he will do so again on day two, but he left the ground on crutches.

Captain Alex Lees and Tim Bresnan led two Yorkshire recoveries from 3-2 and 193-7 with 87 and 78 not out, while Rich Pyrah and Andrew Hodd also contributed 43 and 30.

Jack Brooks started the day by completing a haul of 5-56 as Worcester advanced from 264-8 overnight.

Will Rhodes and Cheteshwar Pujara both fell for ducks inside the first three overs of the reply before fluent Lees, 22-years-old today, and Pyrah shared 108 for the third wicket either side of lunch.

They were two of five wickets to fall through until the evening session as Yorkshire slipped again to seven down and still 118 behind.

This time it was Bresnan who led the fightback by passing 50 for the second time in consecutive Championship innings with some aggressive batting matched by Brooks in a useful 26.

Worcester pair Gareth Andrew and Jack Shantry took four wickets apiece.