Cook is due to be in his usual Test berth sport
ALASTAIR COOK is expected to arrive back in Bangladesh in time to lead his side in Thursday’s opening Test despite the fact he is still waiting on his wife Alice to give birth to their second child.
Cook was granted leave to return home last week in order to be by his wife’s side.
And despite no confirmation of the arrival last night, England remained confident their captain would rejoin them in time to continue his run of 132 consecutive Test appearances stretching back to May 2006.
The tourists had planned for the opener to fly back from the UK this evening to arrive back in Chittagong the following afternoon, and they are confident that will remain the case unless there are any unforeseen complications with the birth.
Cook had spent 10 days in Bangladesh acclimatising to conditions alongside the one-day squad before flying home last Sunday.
And Steve Finn believes his captain will be equipped to step straight off the plane and into the team even if, as expected, he has less than 48 hours from his arrival back in Bangladesh to prepare for the first Test. “You’d be a bit worried if it was someone less experienced,” said Finn. “He’s experienced these conditions before and with the amount of cricket Cooky’s played in the sub-continent he’ll fit back in seamlessly.”
England’s bowlers were forced to work hard on the opening day of their final warm-up match to dismiss a Bangladesh Cricket Board XI for 294 in 74.4 overs. Zafar Ansari, who is highly unlikely to play in the two-match series, was the pick of the bowlers as his left-arm spin took 4-68.
Gareth Batty, the 39-year-old off-spinner who looks set to play his first Test in 11 years this week, took two wickets, while Moeen Ali bowled Mominul Haque during his nine overs.
It was harder going for England’s seamers, with just one wicket for Chris Woakes and two for Stuart Broad in his third and final spell.
Woakes and Broad look certain to be in a three-man pace attack alongside Ben Stokes, with three spinners in Batty, Moeen and Adil Rashid expected to also make the cut as England look to exploit turning conditions.
Finn, who bowled well during a 10-over spell in which he conceded just 24 runs, admitted as much, saying: “Realistically I’m probably outside of those top three seamers because of the way Woakes, Broad and Stokes bowled throughout the summer.
“But my job is to keep pushing and keep trying to put my hand up to get in that team. I feel in good rhythm, it’s just about keeping your name out there.”