He has taken 217 wickets in the County Championship since 2020 at an average of 16.90.
England could see a new face in their bowling line-up when they take on Zimbabwe in the first Test of the summer next month. Reportedly, Sam Cook, the 27-year-old Essex seamer, is close to realising his dream of playing for the national side.
As per the report in The Telegraph, England selectors are working with Essex to manage Cook’s workload heading into the summer. Following the conversation between the two parties, the seamer will sit out of Essex’s next fixture against Worcestershire.
The England men’s managing director, Rob Key, was impressed with Cook after watching him take 4 for 44 in the first innings versus Nottinghamshire.
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Speaking on the Sky Sports Cricket podcast, Key and England selector Luke Wright had positive thoughts for Cook, and the role he could play in the Test set-up.
“It’s great watching high-skill bowlers – it’s not just about pace – because what Sam Cook did against Notts… He is around 80mph, but I thought ‘this is pure skill’ – a bit like [Vernon] Philander when he played,” said Key.
Wright revealed that he has been in constant touch with the seamer over the last couple of years.
“We explained to Cooky that he’s competing with the likes of Woakes, [Matthew] Potts, those guys, because we want a varied attack. Those guys bowling with high skill, who are not necessarily 85mph, but they still have a definite part to play in our bowling attack,” said Wright.
Sam Cook has been a prolific wicket-taker in the domestic circuit. The right-arm medium pacer, who can move the ball both ways, Cook has 318 wickets in First-Class cricket at 19.77 apiece. Since 2020, he has taken 217 wickets in the County Championship at 16.90 average. He has struck every 42.02 balls in this period.
England are currently fretting over the fitness of several fast bowlers. Mark Wood and Ollie Stone are likely to miss the whole summer, while Chris Woakes has reportedly picked up an ankle injury. All things point towards a long-awaited Test call-up for Cook.
England are scheduled to face Zimbabwe on May 22, for which the squad is expected to be announced in the next few weeks. If picked, this could be a great opportunity for him to do something special and push his case for the bigger challenge against India.
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