THREE IS THE MAGIC NUMBER
Foakes reckons batting first drop is best route back into the Test team
BEn FoAkES will tell national selector Ed Smith he wants to bat at no 3 for England after his shock exclusion from the test side in the West indies.
Foakes was left out of the third test in St lucia in February to accommodate Jonny Bairstow’s desire to keep wicket and bat at no 7 — despite being named man of the series during the 3-0 win in Sri lanka before Christmas, when he began his test career with a superb hundred at Galle.
Barring injury, Bairstow is unlikely to be deprived of the gloves during the Ashes, which means Foakes’s only route back into the team is as a specialist batsman — a plausible proposition given his first-class average of 40.
‘the winter was a rollercoaster — a dream come true,’ he said. ‘But i didn’t think i’d be getting dropped. From what you hear within the group, i was quite surprised. i was told they wanted to get Jonny back down to no 7, because they didn’t like the balance of the side.
‘i didn’t feel like i had an absolute stinker or was horribly out of form — then you get dropped. it was quite difficult to deal with that brief period.
‘i’d play for England wherever i could get in. i’m speaking to Ed Smith next week and i’ll ask him a few questions about routes back into the team. When i was dropped i had a chat with trevor Bayliss and he said three is a number that isn’t nailed down.
‘i’ve never thought i could play as a batter only — i always thought i’d have to get in as a keeper. But if i could get a lot of runs you never know. obviously i’d love to bat three. i’d love to give it a go.’
one of Foakes’s first challenges is to bat high enough up the order for Surrey to make the big scores that catch selectors’ eyes. County team-mates rory Burns, Mark Stoneman, ollie Pope and Jason roy are all hoping for test action this summer, and all are set to go in ahead of him in the championship line-up. But Foakes, 26, is desperate for another taste of test cricket and many good judges still regard him as possibly the best gloveman in the world.
‘it was something i have worked my whole career for,’ he said. ‘the feeling out on the pitch with the guys was the best i’ve ever had in cricket. i want that again.’