Silverwood: Hameed making very strong case for England recall

England head coach Chris Silverwood has put his faltering topthreeonnoticeaheadofthe Lord’s Test against India, indicating that Haseeb Hameed is closer than ever to a recall.

Thebigtop-orderrunsthat Silverwood wants to make a hallmark of his tenure have been in short supply for some time,placinganunreasonable burden on Joe Root.

The skipper’s 21st century dragged his side to a rain-affected draw in the LV= Insurance Series opener at Trent Bridge but the output of those above him is increasingly problematic. Zak Crawley is a growing cause of concern at number three, averaging just 11.14 in the 14 innings since he scored a stunning double century against Pakistan, but he is not alone.

Rory Burns is probably safe,butopeningpartnerDom Sibley’s average of 21.56 this yearisnotenoughtocrowdout questions over his pedestrian strike-rate. He made 46 from 203 balls last week and while his defiant efforts on day four helpedEnglandholdoffdefeat, there are doubts that he can find another gear. All of which bringsHameedtothebrinkof a recall, five years since he last represented his country as a teenager.

Silverwood may yet offer another opportunity to those in possession but, with Hameed pushing hard, it could be the last one.

“I would rather be accused of giving somebody one too many chances than not enough – I’ve made that clear from the start – but at somepointIwillhavetomake a decision,” Silverwood said.

“We have to address and accept we are not getting those runs, so we have to look at the why. The question has been posed to the batting coaches as well – how do we make sure we give them the best opportunity to be successful?

“But ultimately if it isn’t working, I have to take a view on why and how do I change that. Ideally, we get the guys scoring runs again, get the confidence back in them. But if that doesn’t happen, obviously I have to have a look.”

Hameed has been waiting for the call since November 2016, when a broken finger cut short an eye-catching start to his England career in India. His form fell off a cliff after that but, after swapping Lancashire for Nottinghamshire, he has rebuilt his game and capped a strong start to the season with a century against Virat Kohli’s side in a warm-up match in Durham.