GARY BALLANCE will get Joe Root’s vote today when England’s Ashes squad is picked.
Yorkshire left-hander Ballance — a pal and county team-mate of skipper Root — is poised for his fourth England comeback in two years.
But he will get the nod for this winter’s showdown in Australia mainly because other batsmen have failed to take their chances.
Ballance’s England career has been on a downward spiral since he scored four centuries in his first nine Tests.
He has just two 50s his last 25 innings for England and a top score of 34 in his 11 most recent knocks.
He was dropped in both 2015 and 2016 and ruled out by injury earlier this summer.
The England management have long been worried about Ballance’s flat-footed technique which makes him vulnerable to fast, full deliveries.
But the 27-year-old has made little attempt to adjust his method.
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At the start of the Test summer, Ballance was recalled following prolific form for Yorkshire but, after scoring 85 runs in four innings against South Africa, his place came under threat.
He suffered a broken finger in the Trent Bridge Test so was never actually dropped.
Test skipper Root is a long-term admirer and will attend this afternoon’s selection meeting, which takes place after England finish practice at The Oval ahead of tomorrow’s fourth one-dayer against West Indies.
Root will push for Ballance’s inclusion — although the Zimbabwe-born batsman is more likely to be viewed as a contender for the No 5 slot against Australia rather than No 3.
Most batsmen chosen by England in the past couple of years have not looked technically or temperamentally suited to Test cricket.
It effectively means the selectors are having to decide which players are the least poor.
England suffered another scare yesterday when Tom Westley, who played in the final five Tests of the summer, went to hospital for an X-ray on his right thumb.
Westley was struck by Yorkshire seamer Steve Patterson and ran straight to the medical room at Chelmsford after being caught in the slips. But there was no break and he is expected to bat in the second innings.
There are also questions over the quick bowlers, with Toby Roland-Jones out because of a stress fracture of the back and Mark Wood’s fitness in doubt.
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