COOK'S URNED IT
James Vince set for England recall while Joe Root backs Alastair Cook to play until Ashes next summer
Former skipper Cook is struggling for form having notched up just one half-century in his last 14 Test innings
JAMES VINCE is poised for a dramatic recall as England attempt to solve their batting problems.
Hampshire captain Vince comes into the squad for next week’s Fourth Test in Southampton because Jonny Bairstow is struggling with a broken finger.
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If Bairstow can’t play, Vince seems certain to return at his home ground - his first Test since being dumped after the winter tour of New Zealand.
Vince secured his selection by scoring 74 and 147 in Hampshire’s win over Notts this week.
In 13 Tests, Vince averages just 24 but his most recent innings was 76 against the Kiwis in Christchurch in March.
Meanwhile, Alastair Cook has been backed by Joe Root to be England’s opener all the way through to next summer’s Ashes showdown.
Former skipper Cook has scored just one half-century in his last 14 Test innings and managed only 29 and 17 in England’s 203-run defeat in the Third Test.
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After an English record 159 Tests and 12,225 runs, many believe Cook, 33, is a fading force and could even be contemplating retirement.
But captain Root insisted: “You watch him apply himself in training, the way he speaks on the field, the way he offers his experience - it doesn’t look like someone who is thinking about jacking it in.
“You never really know what someone is thinking but he seems very much dedicated to helping this team.
“He’s a world-class performer, he’s proven that time and time again. I’d actually like you to write him off because every time he’s written off he comes back and scores a double hundred.”
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Cook’s wife Alice is expecting their third child during the Fifth Test at the Oval early next month but he is not expected to any games.
Root added: “All summer, the pitches have been tailored around seam bowling with a lot of cloud cover and movement. The hardest place to bat is to open.
“There’s no-one with more experience currently in Test cricket than Cooky. So I’m sure he’ll be calling on all of that going into the next game in Southampton. Yes, 100 per cent I want him to be our opener for the rest of the series.”
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