Batting, keeping and Broad's workload will be on the agenda...
Wednesday 27 January 2016 09:55, UK
England's Test tour of South Africa was a huge success, with the visitors securing a 2-1 series win courtesy of victories in Durban and Johannesburg.
Yet, a 280-run reverse in the final Test at Centurion, a clutch of batsmen lacking runs, and occasional butterfingers from Jonny Bairstow behind the stumps led to captain Alastair Cook insisting his charges are still "nowhere near the finished article."
So what will be the most pressing questions on the Test team's mind over the coming months?
Who's next?
England now turn their attention to white-ball cricket, with a limited-overs series against South Africa followed by the ICC World T20 in March, a tournament they won in the Caribbean in 2010, thanks to Kevin Pietersen and Craig Kieswetter's runs and Graeme Swann's wickets.
The next time Cook will lead his side onto the field will be for the first Test against Sri Lanka in May, Headingley is the venue for that one, before two further clashes against the Asian outfit at Emirates Durham ICG and Lord's.
Sri Lanka have won only two of seven Test series since a 1-0 triumph in England in 2014 and their recent humbling in New Zealand came amid rumours of infighting and heavy partying, meaning Cook's side, who haven't lost at home since that aforementioned Sri Lanka series, will be big favourites.
A four-match contest with Pakistan follows later in the summer, with England looking for payback after they lost to Misbah-Ul-Haq's team in the UAE prior to Christmas, and Mohammad Amir possibly in line for his first Test match appearances since being given a five-year spot-fixing ban for allegedly bowling intentional no-balls at Lord's in 2010.
Will there be batting changes?
Quite possibly. Alex Hales became the latest in a long list of England openers to struggle during the South Africa series, amassing just 136 runs at an average of 17 following the travails of Adam Lyth in the Ashes (115 runs at 12.77) and Moeen Ali in the UAE (84 runs at 14).
A slight tweak could be to nudge Hales down to No 3, where he has impressed most for his county, and shunt Nick Compton up to open, a position the 32-year-old filled in his first stint as a Test batsman.
"The output we've had in this series hasn't been good enough if we're trying to get to number one in the world - which is the ultimate aim."
A more radical move would be to drop Hales altogether and either give Lyth another shot; call up Essex's Nick Browne (1157 runs in County Championship Division Two in 2015) or gritty Durham star Mark Stoneman (1090 runs in County Championship Division One in 2015, largely on a bowler-friendly Chester-le-street track); or give the nod to whichever opener begins the 2016 campaign with the highest volume of runs.
Compton and James Taylor may be feeling the heat, too, with pair averaging 30.62 and 26.57 respectively in South Africa, albeit that their century stand in the first Test in Durban went some way to teeing up England's win. Gary Ballance, chief drinks carrier in recent weeks, will think he can force his way into the middle order, while James Hildreth (Somerset) and Sam Northeast (Kent) should feel the same way after 1,000-run 2015s.
Is Bairstow safe from the chop?
The Yorkshireman's wicket-keeping was decidedly dicey in Africa but his batting was of a high quality, with a maiden Test century in Cape Town, accrued during a scintillating 399-run partnership with swashbuckling double centurion Ben Stokes, backed up by a 79 in Durban and decent double-figure contributions elsewhere.
Add in the fact Bairstow's main rival for the gauntlets, Jos Buttler, is likely to be cracking sixes galore in the IPL in the early part of the season - two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders are reportedly keen - and not refining his technique against the moving ball at Old Trafford, and the current keeper looks all but certain to be chirping behind the timbers against Sri Lanka.
A maverick move, though, and one suggested by former Surrey and England batsman Mark Butcher on The Verdict, is to bat Bairstow at five, relieve him of the keeping pressures, and bring in a superior man with the mitts. If Buttler is out of the equation, then, according to Surrey supremo Alec Stewart, no stranger to the art of keeping himself, Stephen Davies and Ben Foakes could be contenders, while rank outsiders would include Sam Billings, the wily Chris Read and Northants prospect Ben Duckett.
What to do with Broad?
As Messrs Cook, Anderson and Compton head into hibernation for the rest of the winter, Stuart Broad's excellent form with the ball, coupled with injuries to fellow pacemen Liam Plunkett and Steve Finn, has seen the No 1 ranked Test bowler recalled to England's one-day squad and retain hope that he could figure in the impending T20 World Cup.
South Africa's line-up will surely not relish coming up against Broad after his 18 wickets at 20.61 in the Test tussles, including his 6-17 at Wanderers as the Proteas were blitzed for 83, but do England really need the seamer in ODI cricket, a format they have flourished in since their World Cup debacle, and, perhaps more importantly, does Broad really need ODI cricket?
Broad averaged 56.44 in ODIs in 2015 and has not averaged under 30 in a calendar year since 2010, while left-armers Reece Topley and David Willey, Chris Woakes and, when fit, Steve Finn have all bowled impressive spells during recent series against New Zealand, Australia and Pakistan.
Plus, Broad's growth as a Test cricketer, highlighted by his staggering 8-15 in the Ashes, has come since his absence from white-ball cricket, much like his captain Cook. As England strive to become the Test game's best, it may be wise to give Broad regular breathers.
Watch England's five-match ODI series with South Africa live on Sky Sports 2, starting with the first game, in Bloemfontein, from 11am on Wednesday, February 3.
