Monday 14 December 2015 07:25, UK
Sir Ian Botham is backing Trevor Bayliss' call to pick Alex Hales to open the batting for England in their upcoming four-Test series in South Africa.
Botham said that Hales - who has 24 one-day international and 37 Twenty20 caps to his name, but is yet to make his Test bow - deserves his chance.
"It doesn't matter how well he does in the series, if it proves to be a success or not," said Botham. "He has earnt the right to play and I hope he does well.
"He has been on the last couple of tours, and not played, but he isn't in South Africa to carry drinks this time.
"He deserved his chance, and the kind of management England have got now, they will stand by him."
The other questions of England's batting in South Africa are who will be wicketkeeper - Jonny Bairstow or Jos Buttler - and who will occupy the vacant spot at number three following Ian Bell's omission, with the two leading candidates the recalled Nick Compton and Gary Ballance.
Botham doesn't think it matters particularly which direction England end up going in, saying South Africa have more concerns with their top order, with AB de Villiers the only one to average above 30 in their recent 3-0 series defeat to India.
"I don't particularly have a preference who England play at three," added Botham. "The management and the captain will pretty much have an idea already of how the team for that first Test will look, although they will never admit it.
"But they might just wait and see how the couple of tour games go, give one or two an opportunity to stake their claim.
"It might not even necessarily end up being one of Compton or Ballance.
"As for the wicketkeeper, Jonny Bairstow did it in their last Test in the UAE and did absolutely nothing wrong, so should start.
"South Africa certainly have more issues than with their batting though than England. Test matches are about batsmen getting runs on the board to allow the bowlers to do their job, and England look to be in a stronger position in that department just now."
Botham was talking during his Walking the Rainbow Nation charity walk in South Africa. He is at the halfway mark of his eight-day trek, with Durban - the scene of the first Test between South Africa and England on Boxing Day - the next stop.
Watch exclusively live coverage of the first Test on Sky Sports 2 HD on Saturday, December 26.
