England vs Pakistan: Alastair Cook backs Steve Finn to shine at scene of last year's Ashes heroics

Captain has confidence in his enegmatic fast bowler

Steve Finn and Alastair Cook share a joke ahead of England nets (Getty)

Alastair Cook has urged Steven Finn to set aside his disappointing summer so far and tap into the positive memories of his series-defining performance on this ground against Australia during last summer’s Ashes.

England’s captain admitted to having a sleepless night before deciding Finn, rather than Jake Ball, was the man to replace the injured Ben Stokes for this decisive third Test against Pakistan that begins on Wednesday at Edgbaston.

And it was the Middlesex fast bowler’s dream return here in Birmingham last summer, where in his first Test for two years he took a career-best 6 for 79 against Australia, that appears to have been the key factor in his selection.

“It was a tough call as I found at 2am today when I was wide awake thinking about it,” admitted Cook. “But we’ve gone for a guy with a proven Test record, who has a knack of picking up wickets and has good memories from last year.”

Finn’s track record, 120 wickets in 33 Tests at an average of 29.40, is indeed proven. Yet he is rarely average, instead the 27-year-old is a bowler who traverses from the delectable to “unselectable”.

Alastair Cook takes a tumble during a football kickabout on Tuesday (Getty)

That was the phrase used by former England limited-overs coach Ashley Giles when he sent Finn home early from the 2013-14 Ashes tour. Back then Finn had lost his action and despite that stunning performance against the Australians in Birmingham last summer, he has struggled to find consistent rhythm since.

A case in point was the opening Test of this series against Pakistan at Lord’s last month, when Finn returned match figures of 0 for 128. England lost that match and Finn was jettisoned for the second Test in Manchester, which Cook’s side won to level the series.

Now back in the team, England hope Finn can draw confidence from memories of his last Test in Birmingham, a performance which prompted Australian great Glenn McGrath to describe the Watford-born bowler as “unplayable”.

“Without a doubt he can do that,” said Cook. “It’s like a batsman when you have scored runs before when you turn up to a ground, there is something which just brings back good memories. Finny is in a good place now and I’m looking forward to him bowling.”

Ball, who made a promising debut at Lord’s, can feel unlucky not to have been given another chance in this match.

However, Finn can point to mitigating factors in his patchy form this summer, a minor knee complaint sustained playing for Middlesex and a troublesome toenail he has had surgically removed since the first Test of this series. Now physically recovered, Finn’s only barrier to finding form appears mental.

Asked what the message to his team-mate would be before this third Test, Cook replied: “To take 20 wickets and bowl 90mph! No. Not to worry too much about it. He sometimes can worry too much about it.

“He cares deeply about playing for England and doesn’t want to let anyone down. He’s a huge talent. He bowled quickly in the nets yesterday. He bowled quickly for Middlesex against Essex [in a T20 match last Thursday] and, on his day, he bowls spells which are incredible to be standing at first slip for as he did against Australia here.

“So try and tell him to relax and play. That doesn’t always happen. But sometimes when you’re dropped it’s a bit of a moment for you as a player.

“He obviously missed out on the last Test and that will have hurt him. When telling him he wasn’t playing, you saw that disappointment and hunger almost straight away. And telling him he was playing today, you saw that glint in his eye.

England captain Alastair Cook and coach Trevor Bayliss arrive for a nets session at Edgbaston on Tuesday (Getty)

“I think there have been a few mitigating circumstances behind the scenes physically and he’s through that now.”

England are expected to give an update on Stokes’ calf injury on Wednesday, with the expectation being the Durham all-rounder will be ruled out of the fourth and final Test of this series at The Oval next week.

The Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq described Stokes’ absence as a “big loss” for England.

The tourists, though, have their own problems, with opener Shan Masood almost certain to be dropped for Sami Aslam and a right-arm seamer in Sohail Khan expected to come in for a leftie in either Wahab Riaz or Rahat Ali.

Other than Finn, England will name the same team that won the last Test in Manchester by 330 runs.

However, selection issues might be more complicated for the winter tours of Bangladesh and India unless James Vince and Gary Ballance can score significant runs in the remaining two Tests.

Ballance, back in the team for this series after a year out, looks likely to make a score sooner rather than later.

The same cannot be said of Vince, who is in danger of being dropped after looking out of his depth in his five Tests so far, averaging 18.57.

Asked how both Vince and Ballance will deal with the pressure, Cook admitted: “It depends what their character is. But sometimes lots of people telling you you’re a good player and that it’s only a matter of time before things turn is the last thing you want to hear.

“It’s just one of those things at the moment that, in terms of our batting order, it is an easy talking point. They guys have got to put that to bed.”

England: Cook (capt), Hales, Root, Vince, Ballance, Bairstow (wkt), Moeen, Woakes, Broad, Anderson, Finn.

Pakistan (probable): Sami Aslam, Mohammad Hafeez, Azhar Ali, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Asad Shafiq, Sarfraz Ahmed (wicketkeeper), Yasir Shah, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Amir, Sohail Khan.