Jos Buttler is ready to carry his new-found white-ball “conviction” into the Test arena if handed a recall for England’s four-match series against Pakistan.
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No one could be more pleased for Roland-Jones than former Leeds/Bradford MCCU coach, Richard Horner: “Each Centre takes pleasure in watching the progress of previous students in the County Championship and to see Toby join the select few, with Test recognition, is even more pleasing. He was the reserve batsman in the squad in South Africa, plus he scored a very timely hundred for Yorkshire against a decent Middlesex bowling attack last week”.
The morning after a heavyweight showdown in the Specsavers County Championship between Yorkshire and Middlesex, both received a welcome call from James Whitaker, England’s National Selector.
Gary Ballance’s return in place of Nick Compton, England’s second enforced change, is another gamble of sorts – this time on a batsman, just returning to form, silencing the many doubters who questioned his technique a year ago and were vindicated when he was dropped mid-Ashes at this same venue.
“It’s all come as a bit of a surprise”, Ballance told British media.
“It was about this time past year when I got left out”, said Ballance. Playing for a department in Pakistan is like being picked for a franchise in the IPL or the Big Bash: it means you could make it big time, after being removed from the rut of routine domestic first-class cricket. But I was happy with the way I played in Scarborough, especially getting a century, and spending a long time in the middle.
“When the opportunity arrives you want to be in peak physical condition”.
And having been in the United Kingdom since May to play for Essex in England’s domestic Twenty20 competition, the hostile quick will look to impart some of his local knowledge on the younger bowlers. “From school I got selected for Pakistan Under-15 trials”.
Ballance said: “Lord’s holds great memories for me – but to be fair, for the majority of my Test career I’ve got great memories of it”.
England (from): Cook (captain), Ali, Bairstow, Ballance, Ball, Broad, Finn, Hales, Root, Roland-Jones, Vince, Woakes.
“I’ve had some time away to think, put cricket into perspective and I’ve had some fantastic experiences in the last six months and I’ve learned a lot”.
Broad’s sole Test century, in a 10-year worldwide career, came in the match which will inevitably be remembered forever not for his 169 in a triple-century stand with Jonathan Trott.
“I was nervous at Trent Bridge”, he said, 11 months on.
Roland-Jones may be in his prime years – and in peak form – but 28 is relatively late to earn a first England call, particularly for a fast bowler.
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Riaz is particularly looking forward to resuming battle with Root, who impressed the Pakistanis during the winter but will be attempting to bed in at No 3 following England’s rejig. “He thoroughly deserves his call-up”.
