Saturday 26 December 2015 08:10, UK
England captain Alastair Cook has confirmed that Chris Woakes will replace the injured James Anderson in the first Test against South Africa.
Anderson has been ruled out of the match in Durban, which starts on Boxing Day and is live on Sky Sports 2 HD, with a calf injury.
Speaking to Sky Sports News HQ's Tim Abraham, Cook insisted the addition of Woakes would also give England greater depth to their batting.
"He's been around the side for a long time and it's a great opportunity," he said.
Cook, who was speaking on his 31st birthday, admitted Anderson's absence would be a "huge loss" but that the tourists would cope without their all-time leading wicket taker.
"Anyone would miss that sort of experience," he added. "But we can't do anything about it and we're looking at the positive side rather letting it get us down.
"It gives Chris a great opportunity and Stuart (Broad) steps up again to be the leader of the attack which I think he thrives on and did against Australia.
"Of course you'd love Jimmy to be in the eleven - but he's not and we'll cope with that."
Woakes has had a stop-start international career due to injury and missed the whole of last summer's Ashes series after fracturing a metatarsal during the World Cup.
He played alongside Broad and Steven Finn in England's warm-up win against South Africa 'A' earlier this week and will now be their third seamer at Kingsmead.
Coverage of the first Test between South Africa and England in Durban gets underway at 7.30am on Boxing Day morning on Sky Sports 2, or watch without a contract on NOW TV
