BRISTOL, United Kingdom: England said yesterday rising star Joe Root was “currently the best opening partner for Alastair Cook” as they left Nick Compton out of their squad for the Ashes warm-up against Essex.
Compton, grandson of England great Denis, has opened for England alongside captain Cook in their last nine Tests but could only manage 39 runs in four innings in a 2-0 home series win over New Zealand last month.
Root, thus far for England a middle order batsman but an opener with Yorkshire, has been in fine form this season and scored his maiden Test hundred, against New Zealand, on his Headingley home ground.
Compton, however, will have an excellent chance to restate his case when south-west side Somerset, his county, play Australia in a four-day warm-up match in Taunton starting today.
But he will not play for England against Essex, Cook’s county, at Chelmsford, east of London, this coming weekend.
“We believe Joe Root is currently the best opening partner for Alastair Cook, and he will open the batting against Essex,” said England national selector Geoff Miller in a statement.
“Joe has performed well for Yorkshire at the top of the order earlier this season, and during his international career so far has proven to be very adaptable in all three formats,” the former England off-spinner added.
England named yesterday a 14-man squad for the match, beginning on Sunday, and are expected to finalise a 12 or 13 a week or so later for the first Ashes Test at Trent Bridge starting on July 10.
Boyd Rankin is the only member of the squad to face Essex who has yet to play for England in any format. He joined five other pacemen in the squad -- James Anderson, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Steven Finn and Graham Onions. Rankin, Onions and a fit-again Kevin Pietersen are the only players selected who were not named in either a Test or one-day squad to face New Zealand at the start of this season. AFP
