Unsettled England must brace themselves for South Africa, says Cook

Alastair Cook at a press conference before the English team departed for South Africa

Alastair Cook, the England Test captain, has called on his team-mates to take the upcoming opportunity to win a Test series in South Africa as a challenge, despite admitting that they themselves are an unsettled side for now.

Hales – new opening partner for Cook?

Since the retirement of Andrew Strauss in 2012, Cook and England have been searching for an opening batsman and have trialled as many as seven men for the role, but none of them have shown the consistency or the temperament deemed fit for the role.

Come the Boxing Day, and Alex Hales might just become the English captain’s eighth opening partner in three years when they take on South Africa in the 1st Test of the four-Test Series in Durban.

Cook, however, wishes to look at the silver lining as he believes that his team has got what it takes to achieve what might very well be one of the greatest moments in their young careers – beating South Africa in their own den.

He also added that since the departure of their legends such as Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis and Mark Boucher, the SA line-up has gone through significant changes and would be different from what he had faced the last time England were there.

"When you lose the greats of the game, Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis, Makhaya Ntini, Mark Boucher … there's always going to be a bit of evolution in a side but trying to replace them is nigh on impossible, especially in one generation," Cook said. "They are certainly a different side to what I have played in the past."

Break a blessing in disguise for Bell, says Cook

England have decided to part ways with their most experienced Test batsman alongside Cook, Ian Bell, for the series, and while questions were being raised on Bell’s career, Cook has instead said that this break for his right-handed team-mate might just be a blessing in disguise.

He gave his own example from a year back, when he was sacked as England ODI captain as well as lost his place in the side.

"I look back a year ago when I was left out of the World Cup. It was disappointing at the time, gutting at the time, but those few months away from the firing line, as it was, away from cricket and a time to be at home, actually gave me a real good understanding and a new lease of life.”

“Hopefully, that can be the same for Ian," said Cook.

"It's a weird thing, missing a tour might do him the world of good. He's been on pretty much every tour since 2000, whether it's with England Under-19s, the Lions or the full side. So a bit of time away from the game might do him the world of good,” he added.

Having said that, Joe Root remains as the only consistent and in-form batsman in the English line-up, who bats at no. 4 but the English captain has faith in the men making a comeback to the side.

"We haven't quite got a settled top seven, there's no doubt about that," he said. "But with Gary [Ballance] coming back, and Nick [Compton] coming back, they've had a taste of it before, and it's a real opportunity for people to stake their claim."

On the question of the opener’s spot, he showed belief in Alex Hales, who returned to form with a hundred against Pakistan in the UAE – a series that England won 3 games to 1 – after missing out in the limited-overs series against Australia at home.

"But, judging by the way, the selection has gone he's got a great opportunity. We've seen in county cricket that he can go on a run and be destructive.”

“He will have experienced a lot, from not scoring too many runs in the Australia one-day series to really bouncing back and leading in the one-dayers [in the UAE]."

Injuries might turn things in England's favour

Fast bowling has often proved out to be the difference between the home side and the visitors in South Africa, and the injuries in the Proteas’ fast-bowling reserves might just encourage England, who themselves have arguably one of the best fast-bowling pairs in James Anderson and Stuart Broad.

Broad and Anderson have already proved their prowess on the dust-bowls in the UAE, and would be roaring to have a go in the favourable conditions of South Africa.

On the other hand, Vernon Philander would definitely not be playing in the first two Tests, while Dale Steyn didn’t take field after the 1st innings of the first Test against India, so he is not a definite starter.

The form and resurgence of Morne Morkel, though, should send some jitters down the England camp.

On Steven Finn, another Ashes hero for England, Cook has said that he is taking giant strides on his recovery path from injury.

"He won't be ready to bowl in the first Test, but Steven has made big strides over the last couple of weeks," said Cook. "He's up and running a couple of weeks ahead of what we thought he'd be, and that's really encouraging for him."

While the highest Test aggregator for England admitted that Pakistan was a chance they couldn’t grab, he believed that there was a fresh opportunity for the team to make-up for that by beating the world no. 1 side in their own backyard.