Sir Alastair Cook tips Dom Sibley for England Test debut in New Zealand series

The former captain expects Zak Crawley to be overlooked when the two-Test duel gets underway later this month

Dom Sibley has done enough to win the duel with Zak Crawley to open for England when the Test series against New Zealand gets underway later this month, according to ex-captain Sir Alastair Cook.

With Joe Denly a major injury doubt, the tourists look set to blood at least one of the pair alongside Rory Burns at the top of the order.

Both players were selected off the back of successful seasons in the County Championship. 

Warwickshire's Sibley scored more runs and faced more deliveries than any player in first-class cricket during the 2019 campaign, while Crawley struck two centuries and six fifties for Kent.

Cook, himself the third-highest run-scorer in Division One with eventual champions Essex, has watched both closely and believes Sibley has the edge.

"Without wanting to be harsh on Zak Crawley, I would go with Dom Sibley given the number of runs that he has scored over the last couple of years," England's all-time Test run-scorer told Sky Sports.

"He is streets ahead of everyone else in that regard when it comes to county cricket. 

"I know that doesn't mean you are going to score runs in international cricket, which is a very different game, but he's earned his chance over the last couple of years.

Zak Crawley struck 820 Championship runs for Kent last season

"He's faced the most number of balls and is an old-school opener, who will lay a foundation; there aren't many frills to his game but he'll look to take bowlers into their third and fourth spells. 

"He bats at the same pace - if he gets past 60 or 70 he'll carry on in the same vein and get a big score. He's always been on the radar and in the last couple of years he's taken a step up."

That would force Crawley to have a watching brief during the series, though there could be another opportunity later this winter when England go to South Africa.

Cook has been impressed by the 21-year-old, however, and believes it is only a matter of time until he gets his chance.

"The selectors are always looking for people who are slightly different - players who might not have the stats behind them but when you watch them bat you see a bit of class," he added.

"I saw him play a couple of times against Essex this summer in one-day and four-day cricket and he had something different. He hit the ball very cleanly, very straight and he's a good player of the short ball.

"For a young kid, his rise has been very steep and meteoric: a couple of years ago he wasn't in the Kent side and now he's one of their leading batters. We don't know if he'll play on this tour but he's certainly one for the future."

England face New Zealand in the first Test at Mount Maunganui starting on November 20 before the concluding match of the series in Hamilton scheduled to take place from November 28.