Burns keen to keep quirks

RORY BURNS insists he is fully engaged with his own quirky batting style rather than dwelling on being Alastair Cook’s replacement as England switch their attention to Test cricket this week. Burns captained Surrey to the County Championship title this summer, the fifth consecutive season in which he surpassed 1,000 runs. In the three-match Test series in Sri Lanka next month Burns gets the chance to succeed Cook, England’s most prolific batsman who was a permanent fixture at the top of the order across 12-and-a-half years. ‘I don’t think anyone can take over from Alastair. He’s unique in terms of what he’s done,’ Burns said, ahead of the warm-up fixture in Colombo starting tomorrow. ‘I’m just looking at it as an opportunity.’ Burns has an unusual tic of glancing towards midwicket as the bowler approaches — beneficial to a left-eye dominant player. ‘It’s just one of my nuances,’ he said. ‘I’ll just try to be strong between my ears and go about my business as I have for Surrey.’ Meanwhile, Australia are expected today to reveal more than 40 recommendations following two inquiries into the culture of the game. Cricket Australia sanctioned the probes after banning Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft, following the sandpaper ball tampering saga in South Africa. The Australian Cricketers’ Association is understood to be preparing an appeal to reduce the 12-month suspensions to Smith and Warner in domestic cricket.