“I’m not aware of any injury”

Image courtesy of: Zimbio

England assistant coach Paul Farbrace has confirmed that captain Alastair Cook will feature in the third Test against Pakistan in Sharjah even though he seemed to have sustained an injury on the fourth day of the second Test in Dubai.

Cook looked to be very stiff during his knock in the second innings, which came to an end when he was on just 10 runs.

However, Farbrace made it clear that Cook cannot miss the third Test, especially after he scored a magnificent 263 in the first innings of the first Test in Abu Dhabi.

“Not at the moment because he has played so well,” Farbrace told Sky Sports. “Even during the lean times run-wise, he’s an important member of the team in terms of how he captains the side.

“The way he plays, the experience and leadership he gives our side with the way he bats, that’s the greatest thing about Cooky – he leads by example. He’s in great form and we want him in great form and playing for as long as possible.

“I’m not aware of any injury, except for the amount of hours he’s spent hunched over a bat handle scoring thousands of runs.

“He never looks the best mover anyway. He is someone who from time-to-time does get treatment on his back, but honestly it’s not something we are spending time talking about.

“He needs to manage himself and he does that really well. It isn’t a concern for us.”

Pakistan hold a 1-0 lead heading into the third Test after they beat England by 178 runs in Dubai.