THE PRODIGAL son returns to the family this winter, but if the England selectors are thinking of killing a fatted calf in Phil Tufnell's honour, then best to have it screened for BSE first. After two years' effective rehabilitation, there is no need to run the risk of making him mad again.

Tufnell, once regarded as a pinless grenade on tour, is one of 15 players who will join the party which leaves for Zimbabwe and New Zealand on November 26th. Also included is the young Yorkshire seam bowler Chris Silverwood and the Essex all-rounder Ronnie Irani. There is no place though for Graeme Hick Zimbabwean by birth, who had a burning desire to play for England in his native country or for Chris Lewis, whose chances seemed to have disappeared with the air in the tyre of his Mercedes as he made his way to the Test at The Oval last month.

It is a party that the chairman of selectors Raymond Illingworth, is confident will succeed on what is essentially a low-key winter. "I expect them to win and win well," he said at Lord's yesterday. "It they don't we've got problems." Illingworth would not be around to pick up the pieces however. This was his last selection before riding off into the sunset, as he put it.

Despite a denial by Illingworth, Tufnell has got what must be a final chance on the basis of the failure of others - Richard Illingworth, Ian Salisbury or Min Patel - to establish themselves, or for Richard Stemp to make the necessary progress. They have not wanted to select him, but in the light of others shortcomings he has made an undeniable case for himself by taking 74 wickets for Middlesex this season, including five wickets in an innings on six occasions. As the last two times were in his most recent championship match against Lancashire, and his victims included the England captain, his timing has also been immaculate.

The same cannot be said of his behaviour on previous trips. On Gooch's tour of Australia in 1990-91 his inept fielding made him a figure of fun, while two years later he showed an unwarranted disaffection for India. Atherton captained him in Australia last time round, but his off-field activities were so manic that at one time he was admitted to a psychiatric unit in Perth.

Atherton pushed strongly for his inclusion now though, believing that in the wake of poor tours and disturbances at home, he has grown up. Tufnell himself reckons part of this is the responsibility thrust on him by the departure of John Emburey, assistant coach this winter, from Middlesex.

More relevant seems to have been a glowing testimonial from Mike Gatting, his Middlesex captain. "This certainly tipped the scales," said Illingworth. "Mike assured us he has improved a lot in the direction we wanted him to. If we couldn't pick him to go on tour, then we couldn't really do so at home. He didn't have a good tour off the field last time and he's served a long sentence. Now he's been offered a new chance."

The 21-year-old Silverwood, who has taken 42 wickets in his first full season, gets his place because the selectors decided to take a young bowler. "He is a genuine nice lad, who just loves bowling," Illingworth said. "He has actually taken more early wickets for Yorkshire than Darren Gough. He just gets on with the job of bowling