Flower confident despite Colly dilemma

Paul Collingwood
12 April 2012

England must formulate plans both with and without Paul Collingwood for the third Test - and coach Andy Flower is confident they have the personnel to carry them out.

Middle-order batsman Collingwood is rated only "50-50" to be fit to face South Africa at Newlands after dislocating his left index finger at Kingsmead, and his absence would almost certainly mean a debut for either Michael Carberry or Luke Wright.

"If he goes out, we'll lose some of that experience," Flower concedes. "But you gain in another way if the debutant comes in and kicks off his international career. We're not worried. If he can't play, he can't play - we'll get on with it."

Left-hander Carberry, used to playing higher up the order in county cricket than Collingwood's Test number five slot, had a prolific 2009 season for Hampshire - and has impressed Flower so far in the Newlands nets.

There are also no regrets about having no existing batting cover in the tour squad, and therefore having to fly Carberry back to South Africa from England at short notice.

"We made that decision in the knowledge that if a specialist batsman got injured, we'd have to pull someone out of the performance squad that has been training in South Africa and has gone back to England only very recently," Flower explained.

"Carberry is in good form. He's been scoring runs out here in South Africa, so we're quite comfortable with that situation.

"Michael Carberry coming in is like any debutant. He'll be excited and nervous but certainly looking forward to the opportunity. The way he batted in the nets, I'd feel very confident when he strode out to the middle."

If 29-year-old Carberry was not already optimistic of a debut, the vibes from Flower indicate he should be.

Wright should not despair, though, because the coach added: "The all-rounder option is always there, has been for the first two Tests and is again for this one."

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