Alastair Cook, the England captain, suggested that there could serious competition for places in his team as they prepare for a four-Test series in South Africa.
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He, however, added that South Africa were a different side from what he had faced before, and therefore, called on his side to work harder in order to overcome them.
England will be buoyed by their results on recent tours of South Africa.
But perhaps of greater significance is that Trevor Bayliss, England’s coach, has acted decisively by telling Alex Hales and Jonny Bairstow they will start the four-Test series that begins in Durban on Boxing Day. “There’s opportunity for people to put their hands up and make a name for themselves.” he said.
“I sat in on that selection meeting, it was a fairly long one when you are talking about a player of Ian’s class and experience”, Cook said. “But two months out of the firing line, some time to be at home, it gave me a new level of understanding and a new lease of life”, Cook said. In a ceaseless sequence England’s autumn tour has been followed by a winter tour, then by the World T20 finals in India in the spring: it is as well that most players are in their early to mid-twenties and single, otherwise they would be as divorced from their spouses as from routine reality.
“It would mean a huge amount to beat the world number-one nation in their backyard”, the 30-year-old, leading the current fifth-ranked Test nation, told a news conference. Hopefully that can be the same for Ian.
“It’s one side I haven’t actually beaten in a series”. There is no doubt about that and it is causing us to play catch-up. Other decisions include whether Jos Buttler or Jonny Bairstow should keep wicket and the composition of a bowling attack in which James Anderson, Stuart Broad and all-rounder Ben Stokes are the only established players.
De Kock and Vilas have instead been included in a South Africa A side to face the tourists in a warm-up game next week, meaning de Villiers will wear the gloves in a Test for the first time since the home series against Australia two years ago.
The fast bowler took 3-22 for England Lions in a Twenty20 against Pakistan A in Dubai on Friday, his first match since sustaining a stress injury in his left foot in October. But Steven’s made big strides over the last couple of weeks. “That’s the challenge we’ve got ahead of us”.
“There’s something inside of me that says we had an opportunity [against Pakistan] that we didn’t quite take; I wonder if this is an opportunity we can”.
“Reflecting back to Pakistan, there’s something inside me saying we had an opportunity we couldn’t quite take”.
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“You can’t guarantee anyone a Test place when you’re sitting in a Heathrow hotel, but he’s got a great opportunity and we know he can be very destructive”.
