With a jarred right shoulder ruling pacer Mark Wood out of the third Test versus India at Headingley, England captain Joe Root hinted that young seamer Saqib Mahmood was in line for a debut in cricket’s oldest format.
“I feel Saqib couldn’t be in a better place to potentially play Test cricket,” Root said on Monday.
“Just look at how he has progressed over the last couple of years across all formats. He has grabbed opportunities with both hands this year and has been exceptional and a standout bowler.
“He came out in the ODI series (versus Pakistan in July) as probably the most experienced bowler and was also the go-to seamer under pressure. That shows how far he has come and it’s great to see that strength and depth in him developing over a period of time now,” Root added in his praise for Saqib, who has so far represented England in seven ODIs and nine T20Is.
As for Wood, he will continue his rehab with the England medical team and have his condition assessed at the end of the third Test.
Batting has been England’s worry in the ongoing series and a big reason behind the loss in the second Test at Lord’s. Banking on the abilities of limited-overs specialist Dawid Malan, who’s set to make a comeback in Test cricket, Root also urged his other batsmen to step up.
“When you look at batting in Test cricket, it revolves around big partnerships. That has got to be our focus. We need to look to have substantial partnerships.
“In England, starting your innings can be the hardest thing. I’ll try and continue the way I’ve been batting, while there’s no reason as to why others too cannot deliver,” he said.
