Andrew Strauss believes Alastair Cook will be able to bat way out of slump

Andrew Strauss has warned Alastair Cook the England selectors' patience is not limitless, but fully expects his opening partner to repay their confidence at The Brit Oval.

Cook has been woefully short of form since the start of the domestic summer, mustering just 100 runs in seven innings since handing back the captaincy to Strauss following a successful tour to Bangladesh as his stand-in.

Strauss knows from personal experience that places in the England team are not set in stone after he was dropped in 2007, though he remains fully supportive of the decision to retain Cook for today's third npower Test against Pakistan. "We all have to deliver all the time," said the skipper.

"It seems there is always one batsman under the microscope and it's a good test of character to have to go through. No-one's place in the side is guaranteed at any stage and you need to perform to keep your place.

"It's not nice to be dropped, but if you're not performing you have to expect you'll get that call from the selectors. But I felt strongly that he should be in the side for this game. You just have to look at his record to know he's a quality player."

Strauss accepts that his fellow left-hander is not at the peak of his powers, but feels he still has the necessary tenacity to post a big score when it matters.

"You don't score as many runs as he has done by his age without having a solid temperament," added Strauss.

"I personally think his greatest strength is his ability to get runs when he's not at his most fluent and this could be one of those situations. I have every confidence he'll come through it."

Today's match sees England and Pakistan renew hostilities at Surrey's headquarters for the first time since the dramatic forfeited Test in 2006.

Pakistan refused to take the field after being docked five runs for ball tampering by the umpires ,and, by the time they changed their mind, the game had been ended.

Strauss was captaining that day in the absence of Michael Vaughan and Andrew Flintoff, and is delighted he has never had to face such trying circumstances again. He recalled: "It was like watching a train wreck. We were basically spectators, but we obviously knew there was something pretty massive brewing there; something we had no ability to control.

"No-one likes to see it in the news for the wrong reasons and thankfully we haven't had any situations like that in the recent past.

"I think it (the forfeit] was the only logical result you can give for a situation like that. If you didn't I suppose players could walk off the pitch and manage not to lose a game."

Graeme Swann returned to practice after missing the first training day due to a court appearance in Nottingham where he answered a drink driving charge.