Nick Compton opens up about his struggles as England opener

It was always going to be a tough task for the incoming English openers to replace Andrew Strauss at the top of the order and since the left-hander’s retirement, 12 batters have accompanied Alastair Cook to initiate the innings. Former opener Nick Compton has expressed his regret at not being able to take up the opportunities and hopes that his fellow openers would not repeat the mistake. In an open letter, Compton has declared the difficulties he faced as an opener in the English team.

It has not only been an issue that involved techniques and movement, but also the pressure applied on the opener from the media. Selection ruthlessness has been a result of the constant media scrutiny, and expectations of best performance at the top of the order. Mark Stoneman, is all set to become Cook’s 12th opening partner as England brace the test of West Indies.

Jennings dropped

Keaton Jennings faced a similar fate at the hands of the selectors, following his shambolic display in the recently concluded series against South Africa.

“He has not scored the runs, and his technical difficulties around fourth stump have not withstood the severe cross-examination of the high-profile media pundits who fuel the opinions of so many others in and around the sport,” Compton said.

“It’s a tough place to be – knowing you are good enough to excel but feeling so out of form, and feeling your chances of success are diminishing innings by innings, partly because of the unwelcome focus on you when the selectors’ guillotine is hovering over your head,” he added.

The 34-year-old further added that with the combined pressure of performance and the axe over the shoulders, it would be tough for any opener to strive in the setup, leave alone Jennings.

“I felt in May of 2013 that if Alastair Cook and I had the opportunity to open together for the whole summer, we could have made a real go of the job. The lack of backing I received was because of my poor performances against New Zealand, but I reckon if I could have been allowed to move through that challenging learning experience of my first real dip in form as an England player, I would have been better for it,” stated the former opener.

Compton’s advice

Compton made his debut before the present English skipper Joe Root emerged in the scene. While the former made a hash of the opportunities given to him, Root has established himself to deliver steady performances to seal his place in the squad and eventually be named the skipper.

“I am able to contrast our journeys and really appreciate his qualities, having lived through the challenge of trying to become a top-level batsman at the same time,” he further added.

The opener then went on to list six categories to focus on for the future set of players, who aspire to open and it applies to the South African cricketers as well.

1. Score big runs
2. Be self-reliant
3. Respect the excellence of the opposition bowler
4. Pay attention to analysis but don’t overdo it
5. Understand the media are just doing their job
6. Develop a broad perspective