LONDON: A slimmed down Dom Sibley will open the batting for England in the first Test after admitting he needed to go on a diet during the lockdown.
Sibley, nicknamed ‘The Fridge’ by team mates, has lost 12kg since experiencing a “wake-up call” while in Sri Lanka earlier this year for the series that was aborted in March due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“Training in that heat, I saw some of the lads running after a big session and it was a bit of an eye-opener for me,” the 24-year-old, who will likely open alongside Rory Burns, told reporters from the Ageas Bowl yesterday.
“For the first time in my career I felt a little bit self-conscious about my physique and my weight. I saw how fit some of the guys are, especially the senior guys, and how impressive they are in their training.
“I’ve been working hard. I don’t feel that it’s made much difference to my batting. People say I look different which is nice but in terms of batting it’s about doing the same thing, batting as long as I can.”