Liam Plunkett
The bowler still has hopes of an England Test recall
THE last of Liam Plunkett’s 13 Test appearances came nearly three years ago, yet don’t be surprised if the Yorkshire fast bowler is back in England’s squad in time for next winter’s Ashes tour of Australia.
Plunkett, 31, has enjoyed a renaissance in international white-ball cricket since his last Test against India at Lord’s in July 2014, and will be an integral part of England’s plans during this summer’s Champions Trophy.
Whether or not appearances in that tournament can catapult Plunkett back into Test recognition is debatable. What is likely to be of more value is his form in four-day cricket between now and the end of the summer.
Plunkett’s red-ball season will start with an appearance for MCC in the Champion County game against Middlesex in Abu Dhabi starting on Sunday.
Conditions in the UAE will be markedly different from what will await England at home this summer and in Australia in the winter.
An early statement can be made, though, ahead of a huge year in Test cricket for England.
“I got asked to play for the MCC, and I snapped their hand off,” said Plunkett. “If you go out there and perform, you never know. If you start the season really well – with injuries [to other players] and stuff, if you hit form with red-ball cricket, if you take some five-fors early on and put some pressure on, then there may be a chance [of a Test recall].
“With injuries, you’re back in the squad, so you never know. I thought I did well last time I was in the Tests, injuries took me out and I didn’t get back in. I still want to play Test cricket. I’m 31 now. I feel I’m at my best, certainly in terms of consistency I feel like I do a job, bowl line and length.”
Plunkett is right. In his last Test he took four wickets, including a second-innings 3-65 when he dismissed the big three Indian scalps of Cheteshwar Pujara,Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni.
In four matches against India and Sri Lanka before an ankle injury struck, Plunkett took 18 wickets at 34.
That was despite the fact he was being ordered to bowl fast as a shock tactic by Peter Moores, England’s then coach who perhaps overlooked the consistency of line and length that had helped Plunkett become such a productive wicket-taker since his move from Durham to Yorkshire the previous year.
Plunkett can still bowl fast – he regularly exceeds 90 miles per hour – but he is more than just a speed merchant and a totally different bowler from the one who made his Test debut against Pakistan at Lahore in late 2005.
“I’ve felt good for a while now,” he said. “What’s different now is when my pace is down I can still control my line and length. I’m happy about that. I used to stress about that. I used to lose my line and length. I feel I can control that now and that’s one of my strengths.”
England will face their busiestever summer over the coming months. It starts with an ODI against Ireland in Bristol on May 5 and finishes with another ODI on September 29 against West Indies.
In between there will be the Champions Trophy and seven Test matches against South Africa and West Indies. Given the workload the players face and the winter that follows – the Ashes tour starts on October 29 and England will not return home until the end of the tour of New Zealand in early April – opportunities will be there for players, especially bowlers, to force their way into the Test setup.
All things being equal then, you’d expect Plunkett to get close to Test cricket again very soon even if the return of Mark Wood from injury will further increase competition.
James Anderson and Stuart Broad will surely be rested for some of the West Indies Test series – probably the final two matches at Headingley and Lord’s. So Plunkett you’d think would be one of the bowlers England would consider as a back-up option if he has not already been recalled before then.
Moreover, his suitability to the fast, bouncy pitches that will await in Australia would make him a natural consideration for England’s Ashes squad next winter.
Trevor Bayliss, England’s Australian coach, stores almost as much value in ‘character’ as skill when it comes to selection. Plunkett is a player he admires in terms of what he brings to the dressing-room, hence his consistent presence in the limited-overs teams.
If he can show good form in first-class cricket in the months ahead, then Plunkett may well get a shot at a third attempt as a Test cricketer too.
The hard work will start when he pulls on that MCC shirt in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.