England coach Trevor Bayliss happy for Nick Compton to '˜drop anchor'

The Middlesex anchorman may not seem like the archetypal Bayliss cricketer, with the Australian keen to see his side dictate the pace and take on the opposition.

Indeed, after Compton helped secure victory over South Africa in his comeback Test with limpet-like knocks of 85 and 49 in Durban, Bayliss admitted he preferred two of his top three to be more attack-minded batsmen.

With captain Alastair Cook unlikely to adopt the role of aggressor, that led to scrutiny over Compton’s methods.

Although England drew in Cape Town before securing the series in Johannesburg, the 32-year-old has appeared conflicted.

He has played more expansively but less judiciously at times, and the runs have not flowed. But he has revealed, following discussions with Bayliss, that he feels no pressure to be anything other than himself in the middle.

“I had a chat with Trevor about it but there was no inference that was what he wanted or that’s the way he wanted me to play,” said Compton. “I think the inference that he wanted two out of three (attacking batsmen)... he just wanted to make it clear that’s in an ideal world or hypothetically, ‘it would be nice if’.

“But I’ve been selected for the reason that I do what I do and he’s been very clear about me doing that role as well as I can.

“It would nice to whack it like David Warner or whack it like AB de Villiers. Wouldn’t we all like to do things differently and better?

“But I’m proud of what I do and I feel strongly that I have qualities and attributes that, yes, might not be as glamorous as others at this time and place in life, but still have a big part to play. I’m very clear about that.”

Axed England batsman Ian Bell is to take over as Warwickshire’s captain from Varun Chopra.

Ireland have hired Chaminda Vaas as a consultant bowling coach for their ICC World Twenty20 campaign in India.