Michael Carberry is forgiven as England opt for continuity

There has been enough revolutionary fervour for now. Its inevitable renewal will have to wait for the start of the Test series next month after the announcement of squads for the early summer limited-overs skirmishes, which bore cosily familiar hallmarks.

Of the 14 players named to face Sri Lanka for the first three of five one-day internationals, 12 were in Australia for the 4-1 drubbing last winter. The additions are Jimmy Anderson, who is returning after his rest, and Harry Gurney, whose left-arm swing and death bowling has clearly impressed the new selection panel.

By not playing in any of the matches, Michael Carberry, perhaps surprisingly, and Chris Woakes, have done themselves a favour.

The main absentees from the party who played in Australia, Ben Stokes and Boyd Rankin, are both working their way back from injuries to hand and back respectively. After seeing a specialist on Monday, Stokes hopes to play two first-class games to ensure he can be considered for selection for the first Test against Sri Lanka on 12 June (in his case being available, after the lustrous winter he had, means being a shoo-in).

If there were surprises, they were the inclusions of both Carberry and Tim Bresnan in the one-day squad and of Ian Bell for the solitary T20 match next Tuesday at The Oval. It had been widely suspected that Carberry might have burned his bridges after being mildly critical of his treatment in Australia, when he did not appear in any of the one-day matches despite being in the squad. The selectors, to their credit, decided they were bigger than that.

Bresnan had a lean winter during which he never seemed quite fully fit but suggestions that he would be sent back to graze in the shires for a while have proved ill-founded. He now has an international showcase to demonstrate that he is still fit for Test cricket purpose. Bell, one of the world's top batsman, must surely play in the starting T20 XI, otherwise there would be no point whatever in dragging him down to London three days early.

It is entirely probable that the selectors have gone down this path because they have had no county one-day cricket this season on which to base their decisions. Anything else would have been blind man's buff.

James Whitaker, the new national selector, appeared to promise much more adventure for the Test team after five weeks of watching Championship cricket. "Listen the message is out there that it's a clean sheet," he said. "The main thing is to be open-minded about a number of these places."

This naturally invited rabid speculation about the composition of the Test team for the opening match at Lord's. At least four places seem to be available – for two middle-order batsman, a wicketkeeper and a spin bowler. Nor is the identity of the third (or even perhaps fourth) seamer certain.

Liam Plunkett, who bowled fast again at Headingley, is the quick bowler on most lips and Whitaker confirmed that while he was not seriously considered for the ODIs, his form was such that he would be talked about more and more.

Of the possible Test spinner, Whitaker conceded that "it is an area of some concern" since Graeme Swann's retirement. Challenged to name six, however, he did not need to draw breath, though three of his sextet, Adil Rashid, Scott Borthwick and Simon Kerrigan are probably not serious contenders. Moeen Ali could only be used if spin was a secondary attacking force, as could the much out of favour Samit Patel. Which leaves Monty Panesar.

On the subject of wicketkeepers on the other hand, Whitaker said there were several viable candidates. Guessing his side now, the man in possession astonishingly looks favourite to hold on to it. Jonny Bairstow looked out of his depth as keeper and batsman in the final two Tests in Australia but Matt Prior's chronic Achilles injury has made his recall unlikely. Jos Buttler's keeping for the England one-day side has not been seamless enough to make him more than the subject of debate.

Fan of the short forms of the game or not, it is a pity that the domestic Twenty20 (sorry that should be the NatWest T20 Blast) and the international limited-overs series are interfering with the argument.

England squads: ODI and Twenty20

For next Tuesday's T20 match v Sri Lanka at The Oval:

EJG Morgan (Midds; capt)

MM Ali (Worcs)

IR Bell (Warks)

RS Bopara (Essex)

TT Bresnan (Yorks)

JC Buttler (Lancs)

MA Carberry (Hants)

HF Gurney (Notts)

AD Hales (Notts)

CJ Jordan (Sussex)

JE Root (Yorks)

JC Tredwell (Kent)

CR Woakes (Warks)

One-day squad (for first three matches v Sri Lanka, 22, 25 and 28 May):

Same as T20 squad, with addition of AN Cook (Essex; capt), JM Anderson (Lancs), and GS Ballance (Yorks), and minus Ali and Hales