Kent's Amjad Khan has been told he could be in the frame for an England recall this winter.

The 28-year-old seamer, who played one Test in the West Indies last summer, was one of four players named in category 'A' of England's performance squad yesterday.

Lancashire's recent signing from Worcestershire Stephen Moore, Hampshire batsman Michael Carberry and Durham paceman Mark Davies were the others.

The quartet will be given intensive individually tailored training over the winter and are effectively the next in line should any more players be called up to the senior squad.

Performance director David Parsons said: "That would be down to the selectors but that would seem to be a reasonable assumption.

"These are the players we think are closest to moving into the England team.

"We have sat down with them and their county coaches having taken feedback from the national selectors over the past month.

"Nothing is really off the menu. Whatever is really required to move their game forward - almost a final push into the England team."

A further 37 players have also been identified for this winter's performance programme, which will feature training camps at Loughborough and in Pretoria, South Africa.

They have also been split into categories depending on experience with 10 players in group 'B', 22 in 'C' and five in the fast-bowling plan.

Whilst in Pretoria they will be joined by senior players Ian Bell, Steven Davies, Ryan Sidebottom and Liam Plunkett who, as non one-day players, will be training ahead of the Test series against South Africa.

Two four-day matches have been arranged before the end of December against Highveld Lions and Nashua Titans.

Good performances could then earn selection for an England Lions overseas tour which is to be arranged for the new year.

Parsons said: "The Lions team will be a mix of players perceived to be England's second-best players and a number of developing players.

"For it to serve the purpose for what it is intended we feel it needs to consist primarily of players we feel can make a difference to the senior team in time."

England Performance Programme Squads:

Category A players (players perceived closest to graduating into the England team and who have been part of the programme and Lions teams in recent years):

Mark Davies (Durham), Amjad Khan (Kent), Stephen Moore (Lancashire), Michael Carberry (Hampshire).

Category B players (experience of first-class cricket and perceived to be one-three years away from the England team):

Steven Finn (Middlesex), Andrew Gale (Yorkshire), Rory Hamilton-Brown (Sussex), Chris Jordan (Surrey), Chris Nash (Sussex), Joe Sayers (Yorkshire), Ajmal Shahzad (Yorkshire), James Taylor (Leicestershire), David Wainwright (Yorkshire), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire).

Category C players (younger players with less first-class county experience, many of whom have been part of the ECB elite player development programme):

Jonathan Bairstow (Yorkshire), Vikram Banerjee (Gloucestershire), Keith Barker (Warwickshire), William Beer (Sussex), Alex Blake (Kent), Andy Carter (Nottinghamshire), Liam Dawson (Hampshire), Luke Fletcher (Nottinghamshire), Billy Godleman (Essex), Alex Hales (Nottinghamshire), Richard Johnson (Warwickshire), Richard Jones (Worcestershire), Adam Lyth (Yorkshire), Jake Mickleburgh (Essex), Sam Northeast (Kent), Ollie Rayner (Sussex), Ian Saxelby (Gloucestershire), John Simpson (Middlesex), Tom Smith (Sussex), Max Waller (Somerset), Adam Wheater (Essex), David Willey (Northamptonshire).

Fast bowling programme:

Jade Dernbach (Surrey), David Griffiths (Hampshire), James Harris (Glamorgan), Stuart Meaker (Surrey), Boyd Rankin (Warwickshire).