Former England captain Michael Vaughan believes making Dan Lawrence open in their upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka is not the right call, citing the decision is based more on prioritising his personality over ability.
After regular opener Zak Crawley was ruled out of the series against Sri Lanka due to a fractured finger, Lawrence is all set to open the batting alongside Ben Duckett when the first Test begins at Manchester on August 21.
Lawrence has not batted as a specialist opener in his 11-match Test career and hasn’t played in the format since England’s series defeat in West Indies in early 2022. “When Zak Crawley was ruled out injured, I was not surprised England chose to throw in Dan Lawrence to open against Sri Lanka, despite that not being his usual batting position.”
“Nevertheless, I do not think picking Lawrence to open is the right decision. He is a really good middle-order batsman and has waited patiently for a spot to become available in the team over the past couple of years.”
“He has batted at No 3 for England and at county level, and has occasionally filled in as an opener. I just do not see him as a Test opening bat, and believe that while the game changes all the time, that remains a specialist position, particularly in England, and is worthy of respect. Let’s be clear. When you are in charge, you can pick who you want.”
“England’s Test team have improved a lot under Stokes and Brendon McCullum, and so far this summer they look like they are on the up again. All their selection calls worked against West Indies and they are building a good squad.”
“But sometimes things can go too far in one direction, and I fear this could be one such occasion. It is another example of England seeming to prioritise personality as much as playing ability in specific roles,” wrote Vaughan in his column for The Telegraph on Sunday.
He also feels Lawrence’s opening batting abilities will be exposed by quality bowling line-ups like India and Australia in future. “Lawrence will probably have his moments in this series, but will it tell us that he can do it against the very best attacks? I am not sure.”
“Against India next summer or Australia the following winter, they need a specialist opener with a really strong foundation in defence. Look at the history of Test cricket. There are not many openers who have survived for a substantial period, say, five years, by going really hard at the ball – maybe just Virender Sehwag and Sanath Jayasuriya.”
“Because Crawley will return, Lawrence is just a stop-gap, so they want to keep that free-flowing approach going. There is no doubt Lawrence has the attacking game for the job, but he is something of a dasher capable of great flamboyance, especially through the leg side. He will get on the front foot and try to put the bowlers under pressure.”
“I do not think he will try to see off the new ball, in the way openers have in the past. Get him on a flat one and he will play shots to parts of the ground where captains do not have fielders, but he will be vulnerable to the moving ball. So, do I see him doing it against the likes of Jasprit Bumrah or Pat Cummins? I may well be wrong, but I cannot see it,” concluded Vaughan.
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