GEORGE DOBELL IN GRENADA: England are set to make one change from the second Test in Barbados, with Matthew Fisher being replaced by Craig Overton
Ollie Robinson has emerged as a significant fitness doubt ahead of the final Test of the series in Grenada.
While Robinson trained on Tuesday (March 23), it is understood he felt some recurrence of the back spasms which have been bothering him since the end of the Ashes series.
As a consequence, it is highly unlikely England will risk him ahead of the deciding Test of the series.
"Ollie wasn’t as good as we would have liked or he was expecting himself to be so we will have to make really sure on that," captain Joe Root said of the Sussex seamer.
"It’s just frustrating for him as it is for me. He’s working very hard but there’s something that’s nagging away at him and he’s just got to keep on doing what he’s doing and trust in time that he’s going to get himself back.
"We all know how effective he has been and how good he’s been in his short career up to now so the sooner we can get him back the better."
Craig Overton is set to return after missing the second Test (Randy Brooks/Getty Images)
Craig Overton is poised to return in place of Matt Fisher in what is likely to be the only change from the Barbados stalemate.
Overton, who has 19 wickets in seven Tests, would have played at Kensington Oval but felt dizzy in training and was rested as a precaution.
It is understood the England management like the all-round attributes – not least his fielding – he offers with Root, saying he had been “knocking down the door” with county performances for a couple of years.
"He’s not express pace but he’s got that extra bit of height, he gets the ball moving around and he’s a really good all-round package,” Root said of the Somerset seamer.
"He gets stuck in, is desperate to do well and always fronts up. He puts in a really strong shift for the group and that’s really admirable."
"He’s a good fielder and catcher and can score some very useful lower-order runs.
"He can offer control over a long period of time and give us something to work with and when there’s something in the surface he can exploit it.
"He’s shown that time and again for Somerset and he’s produced some very good performances. He gets stuck in, is desperate to do well and always fronts up. He puts in a really strong shift for the group and that’s really admirable."
With the pitch likely to offer just a little bit more assistance to seamers, Chris Woakes is set to keep his place despite a modest start to the tour.
Matt Parkinson's wait for a Test debut is set to continue (Randy Brooks/Getty Images)
Root appears to have ruled out giving Matt Parkinson a long-awaited Test debut after stating it would be "difficult" to find a space for a second spinner.
The Lancashire leggie has been a regular feature of overseas tours in recent years but is still awaiting his first outing in the format.
"We’ll have a look at the wicket,” Root said when asked about the prospect. “But if it’s what we expect it might be difficult to do that."
The England management will undoubtedly be frustrated by the continued absence of Robinson.
He was taken on this tour with a view to being the attack leader but, having been obliged to leave the pitch in the warm-up game, has not been available for any of the three Tests.
His long-term fitness issues also frustrated the previous team management, who had discussed not taking him on this tour. Perhaps surprisingly, Robinson has not undergone a scan on his lower back.
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