Nick Compton to take immediate break from cricket

Nick Compton, the English middle-order batsman, has decided to take a break from cricket “with immediate effect”. The English and Wales Cricket Board, as well as the Middlesex Cricket Board, have agreed to the break.

A club statement said that after “a challenging start to the season, both physically and mentally” it had been agreed for Compton to take time away. The right-hander, 32, scored just 51 runs in five innings during the recent Test series win against Sri Lanka.

Middlesex director of cricket Angus Fraser said Compton “makes a huge commitment to cricket”. Fraser, who is also an England selector, added that Compton “sets himself very high standards” and that “some time away from the game” would allow him to “refresh, recharge and return” to the game.

A statement from Middlesex read: “Following a challenging start to the 2016 season, both physically and mentally, it has been agreed that the best way forward is for Compton to spend some time away from the game.”

Angus Fraser, the county’s director of cricket, told TalkSport: “He came out of the Test series, we sat down and spoke and told him to have a few days off but earlier this week we met up and decided a longer break was needed.

“He cares deeply about his cricket, tried his socks off, but physically and mentally he’s not where he wants to be and we think the best way forward is not to go to the nets and spend hours and hours training. Hopefully this will refresh him and recharge him and he will come back for Middlesex and show what a fine player he is. Cricket gives you a lot of time to ruminate, especially in games that take five days, and when it’s not going your way there is a lot of soul searching.”

The South-African born cricketer made his comeback to the national side at Durban in December 2015 after a two and a half year hiatus from cricket. He went on to score 245 runs at 30.6 in the series. But, since then he has experienced really poor outing with his bat. In the recent Test series against Sri Lanka, he managed to aggregate just 51 runs from five innings.