Comeback Compton dreams again
As England prepare for their tour of South Africa, Nick Compton discusses his hopes for a Test comeback more than two years after his last appearance
ESPNcricinfo staff
06-Dec-2015
As England prepare for their tour of South Africa, Nick Compton is contemplating a Test return after more than two years out of contention. In an interview with the Telegraph, Compton talks about returning to the country of his birth for an expected comeback at No. 3 in the batting order:
Compton, 32, opened in his nine previous Tests but is likely to bat at three in South Africa, the position he confirms would be his preferred place to bat in the side and where he comes in for Middlesex. For a player who put so much into his batting and fulfilling his international ambitions, a lengthy period out of the side has hurt Compton but he believes he has learned from the experience of being dropped by England and returned as a wiser, more seasoned batsman who recognises that at times he put too much pressure on himself in his nine Tests.
"I always kept the belief that I could get back in. I did not want to lose that hunger and drive," Compton told Telegraph Sport. "Ambition varies from person to person but mine has always been to challenge myself at the highest level and play international cricket. But you ask yourself that question, will I play again?"
Compton has said he will continue to play the game, based on defensive solidity, that got him selected by England in the first place. He has scored 1000 first-class runs in each of the past three seasons and is considered one of the more old-fashioned batsmen in county cricket. However, as he told the Mail on Sunday, he has been using boxing and meditation to improve his chances of international success second time around:
"The footwork required in boxing gets you out of your comfort zone and pushes your boundaries. I have always been into cross-training, trying different ways to enhance my mind and body," he said.
"We play a sport that is quite routine based. You are in the nets, in the gym, and you hit cricket balls, so in the winter I try to broaden my perspective a little bit.
"Whether that's training with different people, or in different pursuits such as high-intensity workouts and spinning, I try to mix it up. But it is all part of trying to train smarter, to replicate what I do out in the middle."
And as for the meditation - "The mind is like the bicep, you have got to train it."