Stephen Cook’s inclusion in South African Test squad: Better late than never

Stephen Cook has been among the most consistent batsmen in South African domestic cricket, especially for the last seven years.

South African cricket has not been in the best of shape off late, having taken a severe hammering from the likes of England and India in consecutive Test series’ in the last couple of months. So much so, that they have lost their No. 1 rank in Test cricket, the position of which they had so meritoriously achieved under the inspirational leadership of Graeme Smith. There are a number of things that the Proteas have got wrong in the recent past, the most primary of which has been their lackluster batting performances. With the dire situation that they find themselves in at the moment, South Africa needed to make a few hard decisions if they are to commence on their road to recovery. FULL CRICKET SCORECARD: South Africa vs England 2015-16, 4th Test at Centurion

South Africa’s chief reason for their horrendous performances so far has been their shaky batting, with the top-and middle-order often collapsing against a good bowling attack in varying conditions to surrender the game to their opponents in the middle of a game. It is exactly what transpired in their 0-3 series defeat at the hands of Virat Kohli-led India in the latter’s den, and most recently in the ongoing three-Test series on home soil. Their latest batting performance, in which they were bowled out for a meager 83 by England at the Wanderers, was the cherry on top. READ: England hand South Africa 7-wicket thrashing in 3rd Test at Johannesburg

However, there is always a silver lining even in the darkest of skies, and Cricket South Africa’s (CSA) announcement of the inclusion of Stephen Cook in their Test squad for the upcoming final Test at Centurion may very well go down in time to be the best decision taken by the South African selectors in recent times since the inclusion of Kagiso Rabada in their national setup. Given how prolific Cook has been in the South African domestic setup, a spot in the Proteas Test side was due some day or the other, and the right-handed opening batsman has finally been delivered justice on this front. READ: Stephen Cook added to South Africa squad for final Test at Centurion

Cook’s fantastic run in the South Africa’s premier domestic tournament can be ascertained from the simple fact that he has been among the top-10 run-getters in the South African First-Class cricket for the last seven consecutive seasons! He was the leading run-scorer in the 2014-15 season, in which he scored 889 runs at an average of 63.50. To think of these accomplishments, it does come as a major surprise for the selectors to have overlooked him in the recent years.

While Cook may have been overlooked for a major part of his life due to the dominant presence of Smith and Neil McKenzie at the top of the South African Test batting line-up, with the likes of Jacques Rudolph and Alviro Peterson taking up the spot later, it is understandable for Cook having been overlooked by the selectors for so long. It is somewhat similar to the story of Chris Rogers, who failed to break into the opener’s slot in the Australian setup mainly due to the presence of the likes of Matthew Hayden, Adam Gilchrist and Justin Langer. Rogers however, eventually was rewarded for his patience and continued perseverance.

Rogers though, was luckier than Cook in a few ways, especially because he at least was given a chance in 2008 before being pushed to the fringes, and eventually out of contention for some time, before finally making a major comeback. With Stiaan van Zyl under-performing in the last few Tests, the time has finally come for Cook to get his big break and to proudly wear the Proteas logo.

South Africa have a long way to go if they are to regain the No. 1 rank in Test cricket. Questions over captaincy, injuries and administration as well as the weak middle-order will continue to haunt the South Africa for some time. Let us hope Cook’s inclusion is a start of South Africa’s road to recovery.

(Amit Banerjee, a reporter at CricketCountry, takes keen interest in photography, travelling, technology, automobiles, food and, of course, cricket. He can be followed on Twitter via his handle @akb287)

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