Cook wary of dropping Compton
England wrapped up a 2-0 series win over New Zealand on Tuesday, but captain Alastair Cook admits a difficult decision over Nick Compton's Ashes place is already on the horizon.
Cook's side defied intermittent rain to wrap up a 247-run victory in the second Investec Test at Headingley, with Graeme Swann coming to the fore with two more wickets that sealed career-best match figures of 10 for 132.
And while several of the winning XI, including Cook, will be turning their attention to the one-day series against New Zealand, as well as the Champions Trophy that follows immediately, Compton faces a nervy wait. He is not involved in the national side's limited-overs squads and faces an uncertain fate before the start of the Australia series in July.
Despite back-to-back centuries in New Zealand earlier this year, Compton has faced criticism during a lean series in England and the option of moving the unflappable Joe Root to the top of the order has its champions.
Cook accepts that dispensing with Compton would be a gamble, but knows that with Kevin Pietersen expected to be back to full fitness tough decisions must be made. Pietersen tweeted pictures of himself in the nets on Monday, a fact that brought the selection issue firmly into focus following England's win.
"It (opener) is an important position in a very big series. You are in the firing line straight away and you want to set a good tone at the top of the order so, yes, it is a risk to change," Cook said.
"There are going to be some tough meetings ahead. First and foremost it was great to see Kev batting again yesterday and hopefully he keeps progressing well and comes back on the field. It has been brewing for a while that if he comes back then there is going to be a tough decision to make."
Team director Andy Flower believes Compton can play his way back into form before the Ashes during a spell away from the international arena.
"He's got to go away and get back into form and score some heavy runs for Somerset," Flower told Test Match Special. "He goes back into a couple of one-day games before the next first-class game, so hopefully the one-day games are good for him.
"He can enjoy his batting, enjoy hitting the ball...that can be the catalyst for him to go into the first-class game feeling confident ahead of some important games."
