Former England captain Sir Alastair Cook has backed Emilio Gay to keep his place as an opener for England's upcoming tour of South Africa. Gay scored 60 runs in the first innings of England's Test match against Pakistan at Edgbaston, contributing significantly to England's control of the match. While Gay's overall Test average of 26.1 may not be eye-catching, his performance stood out in a difficult summer for English batters, with only Ben Duckett managing a century in six home Tests. Cook praised Gay's calmness and determination, noting that he is confident and intense, with the potential to become a consistent run-scorer. According to CricViz, Gay has left or defended 61% of the pace deliveries he has faced since his debut in June, a statistic close to Dom Sibley's 68% from 2020, the last English opener to achieve a higher percentage in a home summer. Gay's innings included nine fours, and he has scored 68% of his Test runs in boundaries, the highest among England batters with at least 250 runs in the red-ball format. Cook highlighted Gay's patient approach, waiting for scoring opportunities rather than chasing them, and his ability to score off the back foot on both sides of the wicket. Former England captain Michael Vaughan acknowledged Gay's strong performance but noted he might reflect on a missed opportunity to score his first century after being dismissed by Razaullah Khan. Vaughan suggested Gay was close to reaching three figures but may have lost concentration towards the end of the day. Meanwhile, England seamer Josh Tongue praised Gay's rigorous preparation, stating that his hard work in the nets translated into strong performances on the pitch. Despite two dismissals at Lord's, Tongue felt Gay's performance at Edgbaston was exceptional, especially on a difficult pitch. As Jacob Bethell prepares to return for the South Africa tour, the selection of a top-order batter for the winter is expected to be a competition among Jordan Cox, Dan Lawrence, and Gay for two spots. Only Harry Brook has passed 30 more times than Gay this summer, underscoring the challenging conditions for batters. Gay has faced difficulties against back-of-a-length bowling, with seven dismissals in the 7-9 metre length range, indicating a potential weakness that selectors may consider as they finalize their squad.