Former England batter Nick Compton jokes about adding South Africa-born batters to squad

South Africa defeated England by an innings and 12 runs on the third day of the first Test of their England tour at the iconic Lord's Cricket Ground, giving them a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. The English batters put on a lacklustre showing in both innings despite much conversation surrounding their well-known ‘Bazball’ strategy, which had been working well under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum's leadership up until this point.

All of Stokes' players fell short of the half-century mark, with the exception of Ollie Pope's 73 runs in the first innings. The newly-created captain-coach duo of England faced their first defeat since taking control of an underachieving English Test team. With the match finishing in just over six hours on Day 3, England's first and second innings totals read 165 and 149 respectively, as opposed to South Africa's 326 in the first innings.

I think I’ve worked it out England need to go back to the tried and tested formula of having a few South African born batsmen in their ranks… I know one who would fight his arse off at the top of the order! #notanothercompton

— Nick Compton (@thecompdog) August 19, 2022

Following the batting collapse and the over-hyped ‘Bazball’ strategy, former English cricketer Nick Compton has shared his thoughts through a sarcastic post on his personal Twitter handle. He has written, "I think I’ve worked it out. England need to go back to the tried and tested formula of having a few South Africa-born batsmen in their ranks. I know one who would fight his arse off at the top of the order!”

The post has created much buzz among England fans. Several users have posted names guessing the player that Compton is talking about. The first name that may come to everyone’s mind, is his cousin-brother, Ben Compton, who is still waiting to wear the England jersey. Some have also predicted it to be Jason Roy who is now just focussing on limited-over games and played his last Test back in September 2019 against Australia.

Some sarcastic exchanges were also spotted in the comments section as some mentioned former England cricketers Kevin Peterson and Robin Smith. One user noted, “Ben Compton to the fore, Compo! There is always a spot or two in any England side for a South African in my opinion. Very, very strong historical connections between the two countries,” while another user said, “Sadly even if we had a player as good as Cook he would be overlooked in this new approach.”

After making his debut against India in 2012, Nick Compton’s appearance on the international stage lasted for just four years. During this short period, he has played 16 Tests in total for England and recorded 775 runs including two centuries and two half-centuries.