Hobbling Cook is ‘not a concern’ for next Test

ENGLAND have played down fears about the state of Alastair Cook’s fitness after he made an uncomfortable-looking 10 on the fourth evening of the second Test against Pakistan.

Cook was struggling between the wickets throughout his brief stay as England set about trying to save the game, and was unable to get down properly for the sweep shot that cost him his wicket, a top-edge off Yasir Shah to deep backward square.

The third Test in Sharjah starts on Sunday, but assistant coach Paul Farbrace insisted Cook’s fitness was ‘not a concern for us’ ahead of a game that, one way or another, will decide the outcome of this series.

‘I’m not aware of any injury, other than the fact that he’s spent so many hours hunched over a bat handle scoring thousands of runs,’ said Farbrace.

‘He’s never looked the best mover anyway. That’s why he’s made such a success at slip catching. After he got a whack on the hand in the field, he’s been out of the slips, so maybe it’s shown up a little bit more.

‘He does spend time with the physio and masseuse, as most players do, and he does get treatment for his back. But it’s not something we’re spending time talking about. He manages himself Sore point: Cook was struggling really well and it’s not a concern for us.’

Joe Root will captain the team in Sharjah should Cook’s condition deteriorate.

More of a worry, perhaps, is the progress of Cook’s opening partner, Moeen Ali, who fell for a single for the second time in the match, flashing a loose drive to second slip. He is averaging just 12 in this series.

Farbrace said: ‘We still want to see Mo bat for a long period of time. We think he’s capable of doing it, and he’s not just in there for the sake of having a second spinner.

‘He’s not scored the runs we want him to score, and for it to be a long-term thing he’s got to score more runs.

‘Against the new ball you’ve got to be a little more watchful. It’s not a pitch for big shots and big drives. We know that’s how Mo looks to play. He’s just got to make sure he adapts his game to give himself the chance to bat for long periods.

‘We’ve got to come back with the attitude we can save the game. We’ve got to learn from our first innings and make sure the batters don’t make the same mistakes twice.’