25 January 2023 , 10:37
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Essex seamer Sam Cook has been tipped as a potential successor for James Anderson when he eventually hangs up his boots and the 25-year-old is certainly on England's radar, having been named in the last three Lions squads.
Cook picked up 51 wickets at an average of 16.23 in last year's County Championship season and also featured in the Lions' stunning innings victory over South Africa last August.
He then got the opportunity to train alongside the senior England team in Abu Dhabi over the winter ahead of their tour of Pakistan and opened the bowling with Jofra Archer in the resulting intra-squad warm-up match.
And while he was there, Cook picked the brains of Anderson, the most successful wicket-taking seamer in Test history, in a bid to improve his game. "To bowl in tandem with Jimmy was brilliant," he told the Evening Standard.
"The style of bowler that we are is probably more similar than with myself and Jofra, so picking his brains on how to move the Kookaburra ball, using reverse swing, different techniques of running in and covering the ball, making it harder for the batter to pick - all these things.
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"I'm desperate to play Test cricket so to have the opportunity to learn the skills off England's greatest ever bowler is invaluable and something I've been incredibly fortunate to do."
Cook is now involved with the Lions again on their tour of Sri Lanka and he is hoping to improve his skills bowling in the subcontinent, with one eye on being involved in England's upcoming tour of India next year.
Cook was part of the England Lions side which trained with the senior team over the winter and he took the opportunity to learn from England legend James Anderson (Philip Brown/Popperfoto/Popperfoto via Getty Images)"England play 50 per cent of their games away from home and the majority of that is in the sub-continent so it’s about developing my skills out there," he added. "I want to play Test cricket for England, not just in this country, but around the world.
"The India tour next winter is something I've got aspirations for so hopefully I can put my best foot forward and display the skills that the Test team are looking for. There's no secret of: 'If you do this, you'll play for England'.
"But having the exposure to train and be around the Test set-up, you see the brand of cricket they want to play. It's incredibly attacking, they want you to take wickets and that's what I'm focusing on going into this tour and going back into county cricket as well."