"It goes without saying at the moment that he doesn't look like a Test match opener" - Nasser Hussain on Dan Lawrence
Former England captain Nasser Hussain has been critical of Dan Lawrence's displays as a makeshift opener. The right-handed batter earned an opportunity to feature in the Test team for the first time since 2022 following Zak Crawley's injury during the recent home series against the West Indies.
However, Lawrence could not make the most of his opportunity at the top of the order. He looked good in flashes but was quite susceptible to the moving ball, and was repeatedly dismissed by deliveries outside the off stump. Lawrence concluded the series with 120 runs in six innings at an average of 20 and a strike rate of 65.57.
He played a quickfire run-a-ball 35 in the second innings of the series finale at The Oval, ending as the team's second-highest run-getter during the 156-run collapse.
With Crawley potentially recovering in time for the Pakistan tour, Lawrence may have to settle for another extended spell on the sidelines as a backup following a disappointing series.
Nasser Hussain echoed the same sentiments and added Lawrence needs to set up a concrete approach to deal with the deliveries outside the off stump.
"Now, as a player averaging 37 in first-class cricket, he has a choice: either copy the tactic of Sir Alastair Cook, leaving the ball outside off-stump and forcing opponents to come to you," Hussain wrote for his column in the Daily Mail.
"Lawrence has got to work out - whatever position he plays, because even in the middle-order they can still bowl outside off-stump - whether he is going to develop patience, become better in that area outside off or maintain ‘that’s the way I play.’ Whether it be with his county Surrey or with the England coaches, he needs to find his answer," he added.
While Hussain praised Lawrence's caliber and backed him to be a part of the Bazball setup in the future, he expressed his doubt over his abilities as an opener.
"It goes without saying at the moment that he doesn't look like a Test match opener. Sri Lanka have bowled both sides of the wicket with the new ball, but others won’t. This regime of Rob Key and Brendon McCullum talk about picking players with high ceilings and he's still someone you'd identify as having the potential for big innings. Just not in that position, against the new Dukes ball nipping around in that corridor outside off-stump, in English conditions. Bowl there and he looks very vulnerable," Hussain opined.
Lawrence has played 14 Tests, scoring 671 runs at an average of 26.84.
"His bowling might be the only thing in his favor" - Hussain on Lawrence retaining his place in the side for the Pakistan tour
Apart from his batting, Lawrence brings his part-time spin bowling onto the table. The 27-year-old has been used on a sporadic basis in the past, even bowling eight overs in the ongoing series against Sri Lanka.
With 35 first-class wickets at an average of 40.82 and an economy of 3.50, he could be a handy asset on the upcoming tour of Pakistan.
"Everything considered he will feel vulnerable with selection coming up for the tours to Pakistan and New Zealand. The former later this week. The one thing in his favor for Pakistan, and the same is true for his county colleague Will Jacks if he is still on England’s radar, is that he bowls useful off-spin, maybe getting more bounce, putting more revolutions on the ball and maintaining better seam position at times than young Shoaib Bashir," Hussain wrote in his column.
"Zak Crawley is going to come back in to partner Duckett next month and his bowling might be the only thing in his favour if he is up against Essex’s uncapped Jordan Cox for that spare batting berth on tour," he concluded.
Lawrence has bowled in subcontinent conditions in the past, during the tours of Sri Lanka and India in early 2021.