Sam Cook has been named in the squad for England’s one-off Test against Zimbabwe later in May – reward not only for his excellence in the County Championship but also a commendable, unwavering desire to play the longest format.
Aged 27 and having taken a truckload of wickets for Essex at just 19.77 runs apiece, Cook could have been forgiven for wondering if the call would ever come. During the most recent winter, with six-figure offers from three different franchise tournaments, he could also have been forgiven for putting his bank balance first.
