England’s selectors were braced for a long meeting before they can announce their squad to take on Pakistan in three Tests in the UAE.
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The identity of captain Alastair Cook’s opening partner is sure to have been the principal head-scratcher – in a likely list of 17 names – for national selector James Whitaker, coach Trevor Bayliss and their panel of colleagues when they meet today.
After an Ashes summer which has often confounded logic, few things can be said with certainty – other than England prevailed 3-2 against the odds to regain the urn and they face a greater test of their credentials in both the UAE and then South Africa this winter.
All indications are the desert will be especially hazardous – against ‘hosts’ who defeated then world-beaters England 3-0 on their only previous visit, and have since gone unbeaten in series on their new patch.
England will travel nonetheless under no illusions they must somehow get runs on the board and also have a spin contingent capable of keeping them in the equation.
Those two objectives could yet centre on the same player. The elevation of Moeen Ali to open, and bowl plenty of overs of off-spin alongside Adil Rashid turning the ball mostly in the other direction, has been the talking point for much of the second half of England’s home summer.
As Adam Lyth’s failure to contribute against Australia extended to 115 runs in nine innings, the leap of faith required to back him at the start of a new assignment took on ever more fanciful proportions.
Alex Hales was a contender, certainly before his equally paltry run in the one-day international series against Australia, to make a Test debut in Lyth’s place. After his 53 runs in five white-ball attempts, though, Moeen and Nick Compton – among the most solid of a statistically unconvincing bunch from the county season – have leapfrogged Hales as the more feasible options.
The South African-born Compton was the first alternative England turned to after Andrew Strauss’ retirement three years ago left them needing someone to keep Cook company against the new ball. He was discarded after nine Tests in which he hit two hundreds and averaged in the low 30s.
Squads 4 @englandcricket UAE tour later today. Will @thecompdog be given Test recall or will @MoeenAli move up order? pic.twitter.com/YloSMiaq4Q
— PA Sport (@pasport) September 15, 2015
Some, including Compton himself, felt it was a harsh decision. Whether there is to be a return for him, a promotion for Moeen, a different kind of punt on Lyth or Hales – or a hunch for someone else – Bayliss was giving nothing away as he talked about the future. What the coach did admit was that lack of options for the position of Test opener was obvious.
Bayliss said: “I think one of the things is there’s no one out there who’s actually putting their hand up and saying ‘I’m definitely the player to pick’.
“There are good players who have had okay seasons – but I don’t think anyone out there has made five, six, seven hundreds.
“If someone could do that, you’d be putting them in the team straightaway almost.”
The squad may contain a third spin option in the uncapped Zafar Ansari, whose batting proficiency puts him at the head of that queue, but it should not be over-stocked with seamers.
The selectors will also pick the ODI and Twenty20 squads today that will take on Pakistan.
