England vs Sri Lanka: Rory Burns waits for his chance with touring Test squad to be announced Friday
The phones of those lucky few will ring over the coming hours
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Your support makes all the difference.Friday night should be Burns night, but Surrey opener Rory has waited so long at this point that there will be doubt until he sees Ed Smith's name light up his phone and swipes the call active.
The lack of an international call-up hasn't affected Burns, who has continued to amass runs effectively and lead his side to County Championship glory, but it has bewildered those around him. His teammates, friends and family are all desperate for the opener to get the recognition he deserves, and the drumbeat from around the county circuit may now have become too loud to ignore for Smith. Aside from the runs, which are obviously key, Burns has faced a tremendous amount of balls this season, far more than any of his contemporaries, which suggests he might possess the resolve and sticking power that has been lacking in so many recent visitors to England's top order.
Should Burns be overlooked then there may be a full-blown riot at The Oval where, quite understandably, his biggest supporters reside, but the retirement of Alastair Cook twinned with Keaton Jennings' struggles offer the perfect scenario for his first inclusion as a full England international. Sources close to the camp believe his selection is a 'done deal', while close friend and teammate Jason Roy has entered the conversation as an outside punt but could have to make do with a late call-up if he impresses in limited-overs action next month.
With most people within the game now believing Burns will get his chance, Joe Denly is the name being mentioned as the most likely 'surprise'. The Kent man is 32 now and made his ODI debut nearly a decade ago. Well-known to national selector Smith, Denly has been around England squads since his youth and it might just be that which works in his favour here, with an impressive series in India as an England under-19 batsman nearly 15 years ago having curiously been cited as evidence for his inclusion.
His spin bowling adds an extra dimension but should England end up relying on that then they will be in severe trouble on sub-continental pitches. Jack Leach of Somerset is another player who, like Burns, might not look like your typical England international but the spinner is expected to return to the mix after a late call-up to the tour of New Zealand earlier this year and he could be the frontline spinner England need.
James Vince, Dawid Malan and Keaton Jennings are some of the other fringe players battling for places on the plane, perhaps three into two. Ollie Pope of Surrey did enough this summer in his brief opportunity to merit selection but may be unlucky if a full tour with the Lions is deemed better for his long-term development. Either way, he anxiously waits for the phone to ring knowing for certain that he has a very bright future at international level.
The solid core of the England team that so easily beat India will not need to be nervously awaiting phonecalls over the coming hours. Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Adil Rashid and James Anderson are surely certain to go. Whispers of Stuart Broad being rested - with Kevin Pietersen unhelpfully revealing that the all-rounder 'hated' touring the sub-continent - are yet to be confirmed but it would no longer blow everyone away if the Nottinghamshire man was given a couple of months off given his workload in recent years.
Ben Stokes will be included despite a disciplinary hearing in December and Chris Woakes is almost certainly on the plane too but the rest of the bowling attack could present some surprises. Olly Stone was included in the white-ball squad because of his raw pace, a tactic that England often turn to when touring Asia.
Stuart Meaker, Steven Finn, Jake Ball and Harry Gurney have all had a pop at recent tours of the sub-continent in the hope that a few extra MPH might fire England to victory. Stone is positioned to be that guy, though it may depend on injuries and how well he fares in the one-day series that precedes the Tests. Should Tom Curran outperform him then the Surrey man could leapfrog Warwickshire's Stone in the pecking order.
Predicted squad: Rory Burns, Joe Denly, James Vince, Joe Root (c), Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid, Jack Leach, Stuart Broad, Olly Stone, James Anderson.
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