Australian batsman Sam Robson could well open the batting for England in their next Test.
The 24-year-old from Sydney has frequently been mentioned in the British press as a leading candidate to partner England skipper Alastair Cook at the top of the order in their Test series at home against Sri Lanka in June
He has also received strong support from several well-known ex-players.
Asked recently to name his favoured starting line-up for England’s next Test against Sri Lanka, former English skipper Michael Vaughan had Robson opening with Cook.
Even legendary Aussie spinner Shane Warne floated the idea of Robson playing for England against Sri Lanka in a recent column for British newspaper The Telegraph.
Warne’s long-time adversary, former England wicketkeeper Alec Stewart, also identified Robson as a potential addition to the English Test side in the wake of their Ashes debacle.
England clearly need to identify a new batsman to join forces with Cook against the new ball.
They used three different players in that role last year – Nick Compton, Joe Root and Michael Carberry.
Compton was dumped and replaced by Root for the Ashes in England after timid displays against New Zealand in the preceding Test series.
It has been speculated in the English media that the 30-year-old’s cards may have been marked by the English selectors, signalling a possible end to his Test career.
Carberry, too, may never play another Test for England, having ended the Ashes with several limp, hyper-defensive innings.
Given he turns 34 this year it seems likely England will seek a younger man to take his place against Sri Lanka.
That man may not necessarily be Root.
The 23-year-old Yorkshireman had no answer to Australia’s quicks for most of the winter Ashes and was subsequently shunted down to number six for the return series down under.
His inability to score at anything approaching a reasonable rate saw him dropped for the fifth Test at the SCG.
That leaves Robson as a frontline contender to open with Cook.
The former Australian under-19 player has dual-citizenship due to his English mother.
He qualified to play for England in August and toured Australia this summer with the England Performance Programme.
He pushed his case for higher honours by making hundreds in both the games he played, against the Western Australia and Queensland second XIs.
Robson is a specialist in the longest form of the game and rarely plays limited overs cricket for Middlesex.
A compact batsman with impressive patience who has been compared to former English opener Mike Atherton, he has made 3851 runs at an average of 40 in first-class cricket.
He was the third-highest scorer in the English county division one competition last season, with 1180 runs at 47.
Cricket Australia made a belated attempt to lure Robson home in August, changing their rules in regards to the eligibility of Australian players with dual passports to compete as a local player in more than one domestic competition.
It was too little too late.
Robson is a fine prospect who under different circumstances may have been in the mix to take over from veteran Aussie opener Chris Rogers when he retires.
Now it is quite possible he could be among the opposition when Australia travel to England to defend the Ashes in 2015.
If so it would only add further spite to what is likely to be another fiery battle between the Ashes foes.
Just six months ago it would have been unthinkable.
But now England may have to turn to an Aussie to try to help them regain the treasured urn.
Floyd Calhoun
Guest
Noble thoughts Rohan. But I think it might just dilute his Australianness a wee bit. It's totally up to him of course.
Bayman
Guest
I guess none of us should be surprised that a country which developed the most powerful empire on the planet should have a few of its countrymen, and women, spread about the world. Further, that some of those 'ex-pats' should produce sons with a degree of cricketing talent. Further still that some of that talent might want to take it back where it all came from in the first place. England has always had foreign born players in their teams. It is the nature of empire and the English. Great England captains, and names, like Lord Hawke, Plum Warner, Douglas Jardine, Gubby Allen, Colin Cowdrey, Ted Dexter, Tony Greig and Andrew Strauss, to name a few, were all born outside of England. It is the nature of the beast and the by-product of empire. That the empire is now largely gone is irrelevant. The seeds have been sown. Don't worry about it. I am reminded of a series a few years ago now when New Zealand stitched up England, much to the centre of empire's shame. One wit in the press lamented that it should come as no great surprise that England's best player should be New Zealand born Andy Caddick and that New Zealand's worst player should be England born Roger Twose.
Bayman
Guest
To be fair twodogs, I'm not sure that England poached him. Rather, he went voluntarily to try and make a career in county cricket. His English passport (thanks, mum) makes him eligible for the Old Country so, if they ask him, he's probably a fair bet to say, "Yes", given that Australia would almost certainly ignore him unless he came back here to play domestic cricket. By the way, why do they call you 'twodogs"?
Bayman
Guest
.....except, I believe his dad's an Aussie who runs the NSWCA Indoor Centre. One assumes NSW showed no interest so he went and tried his luck in the UK (thanks to his mum and that passport). I'm not sure we can expect the modern player to sit around for years waiting for Australian officials to awake from their slumber when he can earn good dollars now in England. In this case, I have no issue with Robson creating a future for himself in England - and with England. I hope he does well and I rather look forward to the day when no English born player can actually make their side. How much fun will that be?
Bayman
Guest
Beauty, He's English in the way that Strauss is English. Grandson of the great Denis (who was very English) he grew up in South Africa. In fact, Nick's uncle, Patrick, was with the South African press contingent just last year during their tour of Australia. Denis himself spent a lot of time in South Africa. One of his wives was South African (mother of Richard, Nick's father, and Patrick), his three sons (including the eldest from his first wife) all moved there and his grandchildren (including Nck) were all born there. There is some corner of a foreign field that is forever England.
rohan
Guest
If he chooses England then surely he can be called an English batsman, it won't dilute his "australianness" & shouldn't negate any pride we can feel at his success.
rohan
Guest
I live here. England has blocks of cultural diversity, mainly asian, but not the sheer variety (in numbers) that Australia has. Both countries have benefitted enormously though.
Dizzy Tangles
Guest
The poaching never stops!
Disco
Roar Guru
Well said.
Disco
Roar Guru
Arguably there's more to life than beaches and weather.
Disco
Roar Guru
Change the record Nudge.
bilo
Guest
Not too much future in playing for Zimbabwe Nudge. What would you have done in his position, stayed with Mugabe?
Gav
Guest
Who can blame him? The competition in Aus for an openers spot will be fierce over the next couple of yrs. If he feels comfortable representing England, good on him, we don't want him in the green n gold in that case.
AlanKC
Guest
It will certainly add spice to the onfield banter.
HardcorePrawn
Roar Guru
I think that Robson sees himself as being English rather than Australian. My own kids - one born in the UK, the other here, to an English father (me) and an Australian mother (Mrs Prawn) - call themselves English when it comes to sport, probably a result of me being more of an influence in that field than Mrs Prawn. From the little I know of Sam Robson, he's much the same.
Peter
Roar Rookie
Gatting tried to recruit Ryan Harris as well. Pathetic really.
Beauty of a geek brains of a bimbo(atgm)
Guest
Compton isnt english?
Richard
Guest
One thing is for sure if they choose Robson its the perfect motivator for us. Nothing guaranteed to fire us up more than a turn coat. Especially one playing for England in an Ashes series. There will be more than blood on the pitch. They would be mad to choose Robson!
mightymouse
Guest
It's because of Cricket Australia's disdain of test cricket and long form cricket that he has defected. Because he hasn't got the game to transfer over to T20 and One Dayers, he would be on no money in Australia. The county system values technique and the long form more than our domestic scene. It's a combination of money and respect for his skills that have led to his decision in my mind.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
Now that really would have been a big loss. Robson is a very handy batsman but Smith is well advanced on him at the same age.