Cox was caught abruptly when he was contacted by England head coach Brendon McCullum to inform him of his choice for the Take a look at squad.
“I used to be at Battersea Park and I had a missed name. I simply thought it was somebody making an attempt to promote me one thing so left it.
“Then Baz despatched me a textual content saying ‘give me a name again, it is Baz.’ I referred to as again fairly fast hoping he did not select another person as an alternative of me,” Cox mentioned.
“I’ve all the time felt I used to be a bit nearer to the white-ball facet than something, so to get the decision in red-ball is superb.
“I did not assume what I did this yr would have any impact. There are such a lot of good younger gamers on the market, I assumed I needed to do it for a few years and hold smashing that door down.”
Cox, who went on an England T20 tour to Pakistan in 2022 with out enjoying a sport, is Essex’s main scorer within the County Championship, with 763 runs at a median of just about 70, together with three centuries.
The primary Take a look at in opposition to Sri Lanka begins at Previous Trafford on 21 August and whether or not he will get to play or not, Cox is relishing the chance.
He added: “My Pakistan tour, seven T20s, I used to be there for a month, I feel I realized extra in that month than I’ve in my 5 years enjoying skilled cricket.
“These three video games, I feel I am going to be taught a lot from that, it will be the very best expertise of my life, for certain.”
