Across the ocean from the football and after a stomachful of white-ball cricket, the English men shift their focus to the red. Starting on Wednesday, Abu Dhabi hosts a three-day match against the Lions before Ben Stokes and his team head to Pakistan for the first Test in Rawalpindi the following week.
In addition to serving as a warm-up for the three-match series, this comes at a crucial moment for the Lions. Greater investment in the second string is one of the proposals that can be implemented without the agreement of the counties, even though the high-performance review of English cricket’s proposed domestic structure met with fierce opposition.
According to the research, the Lions should “elevate” their red ball attention to 80%. As a result, camps similar to the one conducted over the previous two weeks are likely to proliferate, providing even more access to senior coaches and players – Jimmy Anderson, for example, has been available from the beginning – as well as the opportunity to excel on the field.
Sam Cook, the Essex seamer who won his first Lions call-up last winter and is hoping to be selected this week, states, “It’s a great tour for development, and the match against the Test team at the end is what you train towards.
“You want to showcase yourself to the Test coaches against the greatest players in the country, the people you hope will be your future teammates.
England has 30 players on the ground (15 in the full squad and 15 in the Lions), and as the match at the Sheikh Zayed complex is not a first-class contest, there may be a rotating cast. Rehan Ahmed, the 18-year-old leg-spin prodigy from Leicestershire, and the three Test-capped cricketers Haseeb Hameed, Matt Fisher, and Matt Potts are among the hopefuls.
With only four quicks in the main party, Cook is another up-and-comer pressing hard. When he caught Yorkshire’s Tom Kohler-Cadmore at third slip in September, the 25-year-old became the first English bowler since Alan Ward in 1971 to reach 200 first-class wickets with a bowling average below 20. (19.59).
Cook, a right-arm bowler who combines ruthless precision with skill, is doing something batters dislike piquing England’s attention. The pace is typically mentioned at this point, but Cook, who has made significant progress over the past two years, feels at ease.
Cook, who boasts two County Championship wins in 2017 and 2019, a T20 Blast victory, and was a man of the match with four wickets when Trent Rockets won the men’s Hundred this year, explains that there are two dimensions to the topic of pace.
“I am unconcerned about pace as a means of dismissing Test players. I have before completed this task at Test venues, therefore I am confident that I can do it at the Test level. I’ve based my game on consistency and am attempting to use the tidbits of knowledge to continue rounding out all elements of my game, including fitness, speed, and talents.
“However, if you can consistently move the ball at a faster speed, it can only benefit you – perhaps more low nicks to slide carry. Over the past two years, I’ve added a little, but I’m not focused on it.
There is no easy way to gain 5mph; if coaches knew this, they would hold the keys to the sport. It’s about making minor adjustments. I’ll never get 90 miles per hour; I just want to do my tasks as quickly as possible.”
In a reminder that hothousing Lions players still rely on the production line of the counties, Cook acknowledges Essex for his development and the ongoing support of Alastair Cook – Chef to his Little Chef and the Chelmsford dressing room’s 161-cap sage since his retirement in 2018.
Sam Cook says, “He’s been phenomenal.” “He learns a little bit about the knighthood –’may I get you a drink, sir?’, bowing, etc. – but you realize how fortunate you are to have him there every week. He has been a tremendous help to me — a bit of a prophet.
Cook senior played England’s longest Test innings in Abu Dhabi, an 863-minute Olympic breakfast of a vigil against Pakistan in 2015 that nearly secured a legendary victory. Under Brendon McCullum’s leadership as head coach, England does things a bit faster, and the younger Cook, along with the rest of the Lions, has gotten the message.
He says, “Test cricket is my top priority.” As a fan – if a bit of a badger – this summer was incredible to observe. Brendon also joined us for Lions training. He was a fantastic conversationalist, but he also delivered a message to the group about being entertaining and aggressive. It only encourages you.”
