England captain Ben Stokes stated he was excited by the prospect of Harry Brook’s Test debut after confirming the Yorkshire batsman would exchange the injured Jonny Bairstow within the series finale against South Africa.
ALSO READ | PROTEAS WHITE-BALL DATES, FIXTURES FOR INDIA TOUR CONFIRMED
Brook is the only change to the England XI that levelled the three-match series with a commanding victory within the second Test at Old Trafford after Bairstow was dominated out with a freak leg harm suffered taking part in golf.
This is how we are going to line up for our ultimate Test of the summer season!
#ENGvSA
pic.twitter.com/Qwm4Zm9Jbs
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) September 7, 2022
Bairstow has been in stellar kind this yr, scoring 1 061 runs, together with six centuries, in 10 Tests.
ALSO READ | GRAEME SMITH LANDS NEW CRICKET SOUTH AFRICA (CSA) ROLE
“Harry is someone who has been spoken about a lot as representing England going forward,” Stokes stated on the Oval on Wednesday, on the eve of the deciding Test.
“It’s amazing how sometimes people’s opportunities get presented to them…. He deserved his opportunity to be in the squad initially and he deserves his opportunity this week.”
The skipper stated he felt “devastated” for Bairstow, who may also miss the T20 World Cup in Australia, which begins subsequent month.
“He’s been a massive reason as to why we’ve had such a successful summer,” he stated.
“It was a freak accident.”
But all-rounder Stokes added: “The method through which our center order has been taking part in this summer season, I really feel as if Harry coming in, the way in which he goes about his sport with the bat in his hand is just about a like-for-like substitute.
“He’s always going to look to take the bowling on, take the positive option. It’s obviously devastating to not have Jonny but I’m very excited we get a replacement with the skill Jonny possesses.”
Harry Brook made 140 for England Lions v Proteas
Brook, 23, has performed 4 Twenty20 internationals for England and final month made 140 for the second-string England Lions in a tour match against South Africa at Canterbury.
The Lions gained that match by an innings and 56 runs, however South Africa didn’t subject frontline quick bowlers Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje and Lungi Ngidi.
READ | WHO IS MARK BOUCHER? 10 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
“He (Brook) is a good player, no doubt,” stated South Africa captain Dean Elgar.
“He received just a few runs against us however, once more, that is Test cricket and we’ve received our quick bowlers now who didn’t bowl against him in Kent, so I’m not studying an excessive amount of into that.
“Hopefully he doesn’t do what he did against us in Canterbury… but I just know the environment and this is the big league now.”
South Africa gained the primary Test at Lord’s by an innings and 12 runs, solely for England to bounce again to win by an innings and 85 runs in Manchester.
“We put the Lord’s defeat behind us and we concentrated on Manchester so I know that Dean and the South Africa team will be doing the same thing here,” stated Stokes.
“I think it’s great for the series that it goes down to the wire. I know that South Africa are going to come out firing but it’s how we respond to the questions that they ask us.”
England team
Alex Lees (Durham), Zak Crawley (Kent), Ollie Pope (Surrey), Joe Root (Yorkshire), Harry Brook (Yorkshire), Ben Stokes (Durham, captain), Ben Foakes (Surrey, wicketkeeper), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Ollie Robinson (Sussex), Jack Leach (Somerset), Jimmy Anderson (Lancashire)
By Garrin Lambley © Agence France-Presse