Stuart Meaker gets England call-up

Stuart Meaker has been named in the squad for England's limited-overs trip to India. England have five one-day matches against the world champions followed by a solitary Twenty20 match, with the tour getting under way with the first of two warm-up fixtures on October 8.

Described by Chris Adams, the Surrey cricket manager, as “compact, explosive, very quick and skiddy”, Meaker impressed the England coaches as a net bowler last week before the Twenty20 internationals against West Indies at the Kia Oval.

“I was invited by David Saker [the fast bowling coach] to have a bowl,” Meaker said. “It was a good chance for me to show off what I’ve got. Luckily the Oval nets are quite spicy and I obviously did something right. It goes to show that if you get that chance, you never know what might happen.”
Meaker had missed a phone call from Geoff Miller, the national selector, and said that he spent three hours pacing up and down his flat before Miller called back.

“It’s probably come a little earlier in his career than we anticipated but I’m sure he will do himself proud,” Adams said. “He has a phenomenal physique and his style of bowling should be suited to Indian wickets, which are not that susceptible to pace and bounce.”

Adams added that while Meaker will play well in the one-day side, he feels that he has the potential to excel in Test cricket.

There will inevitably be complaints that England have turned to another player of South African extraction. Meaker was born in Durban but moved to England when 12, attended Cranleigh School and played for the Surrey and England youth teams.

England last selected a one-day international team with 11 English-born players in 1982, while the most recent time when they had three native players in the Test side was in 2003.

“I’ve done the majority of my cricket growing up in England,” Meaker said. “I’ve played all my senior cricket in England and I’ve learnt all my skills and everything I know about the game in England.”

However, his selection means that he misses two family occasions in South Africa. Meaker was due to fly out on Thursday for the remarriage of his mother and his sister’s wedding.

England A Cook (Essex, captain), J Bairstow (Yorkshire), I Bell (Warwickshire), R Bopara (Essex), S Borthwick (Durham), T Bresnan (Yorkshire), J Dernbach (Surrey), S Finn (Middlesex), C Kieswetter (Somerset), S Meaker (Surrey), S Patel (Nottinghamshire), K Pietersen (Surrey), G Swann (Nottinghamshire), J Trott (Warwickshire), C Woakes (Warwickshire). J Buttler (Somerset) and A Hales (Nottinghamshire) join the squad for the T20 fixture.