Having barged the selection door open, Burns has an opportunity to stand unfazed on the face of immense scrutiny and pressure

George Dobell in Colombo28-Oct-20182:15

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Ask any of England’s recent Test caps what struck them most about the experience, and chances are, they will tell you the same thing.As challenging as Australia’s pace attack, as challenging as the turning ball in Asia, as challenging as trying to find the edge of Virat Kohli’s bat, is the scrutiny that comes with promotion to international cricket.It’s not just the microphones and cameras that are suddenly thrust in your face. It’s just getting used to your boyhood heroes dissecting your technique on TV as if you were a diseased fish. And it’s not just getting used to having strangers tell you they love you or hate you on social media. Or even having every word you utter analysed and amplified.It’s learning to deal with the self-doubt.You want some examples? How about Gary Ballance. Despite making 1000 runs in his first 10 Tests, it suddenly became received wisdom that he could not play top-class swing bowling, especially of the left-arm variety. It didn’t matter whether it was true or not – no doubt there was an element of truth; who does look comfortable with top-class, fast swing bowling? – it eventually became self-fulfilling. So instead of trusting what he was doing, Ballance began to doubt it. And once that happens, the battle is as good as lost.Much the same could be said about Nick Compton. Having won selection on the back of his solid game, he was suddenly confronted by a barrage of opinion that insisted solidity wasn’t enough any more. Batsmen needed to push on. They needed to be positive. So instead of trusting his own method, he strayed into news area and started trying to impress. And, as the pressure and doubts mounted, the runs and results fell away.Now, you could argue that the media criticism of them was accurate. And that’s fine. The point is, players have to learn to deal with the seeds of doubt they plant. And it takes a special sort of person – either magnificently talented or magnificently unintrospective – to do that. And while there is always room for improvement, it is a huge risk to change everything that earned their selection once they have exposure to the highest level.The good thing for England on this tour is that their squad contains, alongside the experienced cricketers, some experienced men. So Joe Denly and Jack Leach have both, to some extent, confronted their demons already – Denly when he came to terms with being dropped by England the best part of a decade ago and Leach when he was told his action was illegal – and come back stronger, wiser men. Sink or swim, they seem well-equipped to deal it.The same appears to be true for Rory Burns. If he wins a place in England’s Test line-up in the coming days – it is almost impossible to predict what England’s team will look like at this stage – he knows his method will attract scrutiny. He knows many doubt him. He has, after all, had to work long and hard for this opportunity. Almost every other opening batsman with a pulse and bladder control has already been tried by England. Burns isn’t quite ‘the last man standing, but he could be forgiven for feeling that way.Getty ImagesBut Burns has long had to fight for what has come easily to others. He progressed to the edge of international cricket via the scenic route. Unlike some of the abundantly talented cricketers, he emerged alongside in the Surrey system — such as Jason Roy, with whom he played in the Surrey Under-15 side – he didn’t graduate to the professional game in his late teenage years. Instead he went to university – he is the latest success story from the MCCU system (and the admirable Cardiff MCCU in particular) – where he was given time to mature, as a cricketer and young man, and work out what works for him. Despite the years of run-scoring, it took until midway through the 2018 for him to win a first Lions cap.Maybe that will prove no bad thing. Along the way, he has developed a resilience. And, it would appear, a sense of personal responsibility. He isn’t looking for approval or hoping to win awards for artistic merit. Having just led the club he supported as a boy to the County Championship title and become engaged, he may feel, on some levels, fulfilled and content. He is still desperate for success – he reckons he has dreamed of a Test debut since he was two – but he is, perhaps, a little less desperate than some others.His method is a little unusual. He squats in his stance as if ‘mooning’ the square leg fielder and, to ensure his left eye is trained on the ball – he is a left-handed batsman and says he is left-eye dominant – appears to glance towards midwicket as if the fielder there has just said something appalling about him just before the bowler delivers the ball. There is also a little flurry of the hands that he says relaxes them.It’s not especially pretty but, seeing as he has scored a thousand first-class runs in each of the last five English seasons, it does seem to be pretty effective. He was, by a country mile, the most prolific batsman in the Championship in 2018 – he scored almost 300 runs more than the second-highest run-scorer, Ian Bell, who played in the lower division – and before anyone accuses him of filling his boots on the relatively flat Oval surface, it should be acknowledged he averaged 87.90 in away matches. He is good off his legs, has a pleasing drive and seems to know where his off stump is. He might never have been here before – the closest he has come is playing in the UAE – but he has earned this chance.And, having earned the chance doing things his way, he isn’t going to change now.”I don’t think you can prepare for the scrutiny fully,” Burns says. “I am expecting a certain level of media scrutiny but I’ll just try to remain strong between my ears and go about my business as I have for Surrey. Probably the weight of runs I’ve scored in county cricket will help me do that as I’ve got that little bit of self-belief.”My trigger movement might get commented upon but it’s not going to change. It’s just one of my nuances. It’s a rhythm thing. It’s just a feel thing for me as I get prepared to face the ball.”It’s just about taking the opportunity and doing it your way when you get your opportunity. I’m just trying to replicate what I do for Surrey and trust my own way of going about things. I’m going go about things the way I have in county cricket.”While those players – and coaches – involved in Saturday night’s T20I were given the day-off, Burns was among the England players who trained at Nondescripts Cricket Club in Colombo on Sunday. The entire Test squad will be there again on Monday before two, two-day games start on Tuesday.There are no guarantees for Burns and co, but by sticking to his guns, by doing it his way, by trusting himself, he is giving himself the best chance.