• Michael Owen says Henson has not earned selection • 'It sends out the wrong message to players in Wales'

The former Wales captain, Michael Owen, has criticised Gavin Henson's selection for the 26-man squad named by Warren Gatland to play the Barbarians on 4 June, and says he owes it to his past performances rather than current form.

Owen, who captained the centre during the 2005 grand slam campaign, believes the inclusion of Henson is "embarrassing.He's being picked on what he's done previously," Owen told the BBC.

"It's a privilege to play for your national team. I think you've really got to earn that privilege and I just question whether Gavin has earned it in this instance," Owen said.

"Warren Gatland and the coaches at Wales obviously rate Gavin very highly as a player. He's done some fantastic things throughout his career. But for me it sends the wrong message to the players in Wales who are striving, day in day out, week in week out, to try and get better and try and perform to get the opportunity to play for their country.

"I don't think it will cause too much resentment, for me it sends out the wrong message. For people looking in on Welsh rugby I think it's slightly embarrassing because we're fawning over a player who, at the moment, doesn't merit that sort of treatment."

Henson has not played for the national team since the home defeat by Ireland in March 2009, after which he took an 18-month sabbatical from the game to appear on the television series 71 Degrees North and Strictly Come Dancing. Now Owen believes the Toulon centre has been given another chance because of his past achievements and feels he has to impress this time because it might be his last one.

"It's certainly getting to that stage with Gavin," said Owen. "I think it's been like that over the last period of time with his time out of the game.

"He went to Saracens and it didn't really work out there and he's had another opportunity at Toulon and he's had bad headlines there.

"If he played for Toulon until the end of the season [and] he had five, six or seven really good games and he was showing that he's got the appetite and the desire to play for Wales then they should pick him.

"But for me at the minute he's being rewarded without having earned that shirt and that privilege of playing for his country."