Hoggard upset by England treatment

Matthew Hoggard has written off his chances of returning to England's squad for this year's Ashes series against Australia.

The seam bowler, an integral part of the side that beat Australia four years ago, played the last of his 67 Tests in New Zealand 13 months ago and no longer has a central contract with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

"My contact with the ECB has been zero and so I'm completely and utterly not even thinking about a recall," said the 32-year-old Hoggard in a serialisation of his autobiography in the Times newspaper on Monday.

Hoggard, who took 16 wickets when England regained the Ashes in 2005, was recalled to the squad last year for the series against South Africa but was overlooked, even when seamer Ryan Sidebottom was injured for the match at Headingley, Leeds.

"They didn't offer me the courtesy of an explanation as to why they hadn't picked me, a centrally contracted player, in helpful conditions on my home ground," said the Yorkshire bowler.

"To go from having one bad test in New Zealand to losing my central contract five months later, and to barely have any contact for the five months in between, was a joke."

Hoggard said his form in New Zealand was affected by his wife Sarah's health problems.

"(Former coach) Peter Moores had known about Sarah's illness since the tour of New Zealand. Still no contact, no phone call to see how things were at home," he said.

"Not even a message of encouragement to ensure I was striving to get back in the England team.

"Regardless of my own personal issues, if I'd been coach of the England team and I had a bloke who had taken 248 Test wickets and was still only 31, I'd have wanted to keep tabs on him."

England begin the task of trying to win back the Ashes in July before which they have a home series against West Indies.