England coach Peter Moores insists the door is not closed on Ashes-winning duo Matthew Hoggard and Steve Harmison despite their latest selection snub.

The elevation of unknown Australian-raised bowler Darren Pattinson over both centrally-contracted pacemen into the Test team this week caused quite a furore.

It even led the pair to question their international futures, with 31-year-old Hoggard, his country's sixth most successful bowler in Test history, admitting he considered his England days are history.

Both men were axed after defeat to New Zealand in Hamilton four months ago and have barely had a look in since, culminating in both Pattinson and Chris Tremlett being reserves for the heavy defeat to South Africa at Headingley.

But asked if he thought a line had been drawn on their careers, Moores said: "No, I don't, because that would be a foolish thing to do.

"You've got two experienced bowlers out there who have played a lot for England and bowled very well in the past.

"If they are bowling well and deserve to be picked then they should be in frame.

"They are experienced players who are desperate to play again, which is great. That's a good thing."

Hoggard and Harmison both have in excess of 200 Test victims, with the former just two shy of the 250-mark.

Despite the second match of the npower series being held at his home ground in Leeds, however, swing merchant Hoggard lost out in selection to Pattinson, 29, when Ryan Sidebottom's back niggle deemed a fill-in necessary.

Grimsby-born Pattinson is now in line to become a one-cap wonder - Sidebottom is expected to be fit when the squad meet up in Birmingham on Sunday night - although he has not given up hope of future opportunities.

"I've got things that I need to learn about the game and I know that my next chance might not come straightaway - but I'd like to think that I can be involved again further down the track," he said, after taking two for 95 in South Africa's first innings.

Meanwhile, Moores added: "Certainly there has been a lot of talk about Darren's bowling but for a lad on debut he did all right.

"It was a tough wicket to bowl on and we saw lots of people bowl out there and look pretty innocuous at times.

"To be fair to him he stuck to his guns and went at threes and got a couple of wickets like everybody else did - nobody really ripped it up."

Picked for claiming 29 wickets in six first-class outings with Nottinghamshire, Pattinson is expected to return to county action next week.

"He got in because he bowled really well for Notts and he has worked hard to get himself in," Moores added.

"He earned his right to have a go and has played in what was a really tough Test match.

"Because we were light on runs, there was no pressure on the South Africans to score at any rate and they just sat in on a slow deck. It would be interesting if he would be viewed the same if he was a younger man or a more well-known name."

England have only a few days' rest before the four-match Test campaign continues and the crammed schedule means openers Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook will not be available to feature for their counties on Twenty20 finals day this Saturday.

The centrally-contracted England pair have been asked to put the feet up before travelling to Edgbaston.

Strauss' Middlesex and Cook's Essex are vying to qualify for the final at the Rose Bowl this weekend, with the successful semi-finalists guaranteed a place in the money-spinning Champions League this autumn.

However, England's management have vetoed their participation following back-to-back Tests in London and Leeds.

"It was deemed after two tough Test matches that those players, who played in both Tests, will not be available," confirmed an England spokesman.England's top two domestic Twenty20 teams will face off against opposition from Australia, India and South Africa in the inaugural multi-nation tournament this October with the winners claiming the £2.5million jackpot.

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