Jonny Bairstow and James Anderson pushing for England Test squad returns
England name squad for South Africa tour on Saturday afternoon
Saturday 7 December 2019 12:23, UK
Jonny Bairstow and James Anderson will be eyeing returns to England's Test set-up when the squad for the tour of South Africa is named on Saturday.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Bairstow was left out of the 1-0 series defeat in New Zealand after averaging just 23.77 in The Ashes and only 24.23 in Test cricket since the start of the 2018 summer.
Jos Buttler took over the wicketkeeping gloves for the first Test against the Black Caps but was struck down by a back injury ahead of the second, meaning batsman Ollie Pope stepped in with England not naming a second recognised wicketkeeper in the touring party.
Bairstow could be included against South Africa, either as Buttler's back-up - a position that Ben Foakes could also fill - or as a specialist batsman.
The Yorkshireman's chances of facing the Proteas appear to have been boosted by the news he will head to South Africa early this month for a training camp, where he will work with ex-England batsman Jonathan Trott.
"[The camp] gives him an opportunity to get some workload in and keep looking to progress his game," England captain Joe Root said of Bairstow.
"He wants to prove to everyone that he wants to put the work in and develop and get better. This is an opportunity for him to do just that.
"For Jonny you look at his talent, what he's achieved and what he potentially could achieve in Test cricket and you think he's got the capability to go on and make really big scores and be one of the best players in the world as a batter alone."
Bairstow topped England's batting averages during their 2-1 Test-series win in South Africa in 2015-16, notching 359 runs in four Tests at 71.80, including his maiden Test ton when he hit an unbeaten 150 in Cape Town as he shared a partnership of 399 with Ben Stokes (258).
The 29-year-old will tag along on a pace-bowling camp in Potchefstroom, which will include Anderson, Mark Wood and Olly Stone, all of whom are pushing for Test recalls after injury.
Anderson, England's all-time leading Test wicket-taker with 575 scalps in 149 matches, has not bowled in a first-team game since he broke down with a calf injury in the Ashes opener at Edgbaston.
The 37-year-old, who has been using Manchester City's training facilities, recently told the Daily Mail that he has altered his run-up in order to relieve the stress on his body.
"When I felt the calf go, it was in that first three or four paces of my run-up, trying to get up to speed really quickly," said Anderson.
"Lengthening my run-up just gives me that little bit extra time to gradually build up the pace rather than pushing off too quickly and putting too much pressure on it.
"I've changed the running technique a little bit, too, to use my legs a bit more to generate more momentum up to the crease."
Anderson's fellow quick Wood has not bowled competitively since the World Cup final at Lord's in July due to a combination of a side strain and knee surgery.
However, he will hope to be included in the squad to tour South Africa after bagging a maiden Test five-wicket haul in his last appearance in England whites, against West Indies in St Lucia in February.
Off-spinner Moeen Ali is another man who could return.
Moeen missed the New Zealand series after requesting a break from Test cricket but Root, speaking after the second Test against the Kiwis, said he would welcome the all-rounder back into the fold.
"We know what Moeen has produced in Test cricket over his career. He is a fine, fine player and I'm sure he will be back and raring to go at some point," said the skipper.
Jack Leach was selected as England's frontline spinner in New Zealand but after recording figures of 2-153 in the first Test was left out of the second at Seddon Park as the visitors went in with a five-pronged pace attack, before he was admitted to hospital with gastroenteritis.
England also drafted in Lancashire leg-spinner Matt Parkinson for the New Zealand tour but he went unpicked in both Tests and Sky Sports' Mark Butcher expects Ali to be the first-choice spinner in South Africa.
"What that tells me is England are going to use their spinner as a utility player who will hopefully score some lower-order runs," Butcher said after England omitted Leach and Parkinson from the second New Zealand Test.
"That brings Moeen right back into the frame, as much for his batting and all-round capabilities. England don't view frontline spin as something that's of much use to them."
Pope looks certain to retain his place in the squad after scoring a maiden Test fifty in Hamilton, while England are also expected to persevere with Dom Sibley as opener, despite the right-hander making only 38 runs in his first three Test innings.
Zak Crawley - who made one batting at No 6 in the second Test against New Zealand - is also a contender to open but could miss out on the squad altogether if Bairstow is recalled for a series which, unlike the one against the Kiwis, will form part of the World Test Championship.
Follow news of England's Test squad for the tour of South Africa on skysports.com and the Sky Sports app on Saturday. The four-match series is live on Sky Sports Cricket from 7am on Boxing Day.
