Alastair Cook has confirmed that Jimmy Anderson has been added to his match squad for the second Test with South Africa in Cape Town and England’s attack leader looks set to play if he gets through nets on Friday.

The England captain, speaking before the training session, believes Anderson has recovered from the calf strain that has restricted him to five competitive overs on tour and meant he was replaced by Chris Woakes for the 241-run win in Durban.

The second Test starts on Saturday and Cook said: “Jimmy will be added to our 12 and it’s fair to say that the 11 who played did well in Durban but someone with his wickets, if he is fit to go, then he will play.

“It’s an interesting call because the amount of overs he has bowled on tour isn’t great and the heat here, it will be a tough Test match for all of us. We will have a good chat and see how he’s feeling. You have to be careful with heart and head, he’s desperate to play but we have to make sure it’s the right decision for England.

Asked if there was still a temptation to hold Anderson back, Cook replied: “You want your best players playing. If he’s fit and ready, he will open the bowling. We have to make sure he’s right, we don’t want to hinder ourselves with an injury we could have prevented. There will be a bit of a risk.”