Bath lock Steve Borthwick has been named England captain for the two-Test tour to New Zealand next month.

The 28-year-old (pictured) has 37 caps and will lead the 32-man squad announced by new manager Martin Johnson for Tests with the All Blacks in Auckland on June 14 and in Christchurch a week later.

Johnson has selected six uncapped players for the trip, while Mike Tindall, Paul Sackey, Matt Stevens and Lee Mears have been included despite picking up injuries playing for their clubs last weekend.

The uncapped players are London Irish trio Topsy Ojo, Nick Kennedy and David Paice, Harlequins scrum-half Danny Care, Northampton hooker Dylan Hartley and Bristol prop Jason Hobson.

"Steve was the obvious choice. He is very well respected among the squad, an established international player and a very good leader," explained Johson.

"He is a model player the way he approaches the game and was a natural choice to lead the squad.

"But lots of other guys have a leadership influence on the team. I think people always put too much emphasis on who is the captain."

The highest-profile casualties in what is Johnson's first selection as team manager are Gloucester backs Iain Balshaw and Lesley Vainikolo.

Wasps back Josh Lewsey has also failed to force his way back into international reckoning after missing out on the Six Nations.

There are, though, recalls for London Irish utility back Peter Richards, Bath centre Olly Barkley, Wasps lock Tom Palmer and Harlequins duo Mike Brown and David Strettle.

Brown is the only specialist full-back in the party although Matthew Tait and Ojo can also cover that position.

Veteran lock Simon Shaw is being rested after a long and demanding season with his club Wasps, while Gloucester's in-form wing James Simpson-Daniel and Shane Geraghty of London Irish have been left behind to have shoulder surgery.

Leicester's Harry Ellis has also been left out to continue his rehabilitation for a long-standing knee injury, so Richard Wigglesworth and Care will contest the number nine jersey.

Former captain Phil Vickery has yet to recover from a knee injury and also misses out, while Jonny Wilkinson and Leicester pair Lewis Moody and Louis Deacon are unavailable for selection due to injury.

Wilkinson is due a shoulder operation, Moody is still recovering from an Achilles injury and Deacon has not played for a month due to a back problem.

Johnson has chosen seven back-row players in his squad, with Wasps Tom Rees and Bath's Michael Lipman contesting the number seven jersey.

Wasps pair James Haskell and Joe Worsley can play at blindside or number eight. They will be in competition with Gloucester's Luke Narraway and Harlequins' Nick Easter at the back of the scrum, and Leicester's Tom Croft at number six.

The trip will also provide an opportunity for Northampton tyro Hartley to push his case for the hooker's jersey.

Mears, who has been outstanding for Bath this season, will start as favourite to pack down in the front row but New Zealand-born Hartley will want to make up ground after missing the World Cup due to a ban for gauging.

Johnson will not travel to New Zealand as he will be supporting his wife Kay through her second pregnancy, so director of elite rugby Rob Andrew will take charge for both Tests.

England will fly to New Zealand on June 2, the day after their match with the Barbarians at Twickenham.

England squad:

Backs - Mike Brown (Harlequins), Paul Sackey (Wasps), David Strettle (Harlequins), Topsy Ojo (London Irish), Matthew Tait (Newcastle), Mike Tindall (Gloucester), Jamie Noon (Newcastle), Toby Flood (Newcastle), Olly Barkley (Bath), Danny Cipriani (Wasps), Charlie Hodgson (Sale Sharks), Richard Wigglesworth (Sale Sharks), Peter Richards (London Irish), Danny Care (Harlequins).

Forwards - Andrew Sheridan (Sale Sharks), Tom Payne (Wasps), Matt Stevens (Bath), Jason Hobson (Bristol), Lee Mears (Bath), Dylan Hartley (Northampton), David Paice (London Irish), Steve Borthwick (Bath, capt), Ben Kay (Leicester), Nick Kennedy (London Irish), Tom Palmer (Wasps), Tom Croft (Leicester), James Haskell (Wasps), Joe Worsley (Wasps), Michael Lipman (Bath), Tom Rees (Wasps), Nick Easter (Harlequins), Luke Narraway (Gloucester).

Terence O'Rorke / Eurosport