Tuesday 1 August 2017 22:42, UK
Nasser Hussain says Tom Westley's call-up to the England squad for the third Test against South Africa has come "at the right time" for the 28-year-old Essex batsman.
Westley will go straight into the England batting line-up at No 3 for the 100th Test at The Oval - live on Sky Sports Cricket from 10am next Thursday - though Hussain says he'd still prefer to see captain Joe Root bat there.
Middlesex batsman Dawid Malan is also included in the squad, while Keaton Jennings and Liam Dawson retain their spots despite struggling in the first two Tests.
"It is great news for Westley," Hussain told Sky Sports News. "He is having a good season with Essex in Division One of the County Championship, averaging 53, and he got a hundred against South Africa a couple of weeks ago for the England Lions.
"He will be tested. Vernon Philander, Morne Morkel, Kagiso Rabada, Chris Morris and Keshav Maharaj at The Oval is a pretty strong attack to face in your first game, but it has come at the right time for him.
"Having three left-handers at the top of the order hasn't worked for England, so they've decided to break that up with a right-hander at No 3, though, personally, I would like to see Root there.
"Westley wasn't around all those years ago when I was at Essex but I've obviously seen him play. He is a good player, but a slightly legside player.
"He is 28, been around a while, been on a few Lions trips. He has had to wait his turn and is no spring chicken - not a 21, 22-year-old making his way in the game.
"But I think he knows his game well and he will be batting in a position that he bats in for Essex. He comes in with or after Alastair Cook in that line-up, so if a wicket does fall for England, he'll feel very comfortable out there joining Alastair - if he's still there - in the middle."
Hussain also agrees with Malan's inclusion - though feels he will only feature if England decide on selecting an extra batsman - and the decision to retain Jennings in the squad.
"I think Malan is a good selection," added Hussain. "He is another who has been around a long, long time. But he is a quality player - he got 78 on his T20I debut against South Africa.
"I did something recently with the England coaching set-up of Trevor Bayliss and Paul Farbrace and I asked them about Malan: they said they were very impressed by him during that debut knock in Cardiff.
"More than anything else it was his mental toughness; having to wait a decade for international recognition, then when he did come in, he played as if he'd been around forever. They were very impressed by his character.
"England will play him if they feel they need the extra batsman, though I would have actually gone with that line-up in the last game as when you get to The Oval you probably do need the two-spinner option and they've stuck with Dawson in the squad.
"They've also stuck with Jennings, which I agree with. He is a young lad trying to find his way in international cricket and has a hundred and a fifty to his name already.
"Though he looks a little out of nick, that was the right thing to do."
With the four-Test series tied at 1-1 going into the game at The Oval, Hussain says regardless of the make-up of England's top-order, they simply can't afford to keep getting off to bad starts.
"England will have to up their game with the batting," said Hussain. "They will have to get first-innings runs.
"Even look at the win at Lord's - sure, Root scored 190, but there were opportunities for South Africa to make inroads; England were 90-4.
"England have got to stop being 30-3, 90-4. Their top three have to fire at some stage.
"With the likes of Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes etc behind them, if they can get off to a good start then they're in the game."
Watch the third Test between England and South Africa - brought to you in association with Sky Ocean Rescue - live on Sky Sports Cricket from 10am on Thursday.
