England have made no secret of their long-term Ashes planning, and now they can prepare for the unthinkable - life without Ben Stokes.
They have sacked a white-ball coach and lost an opener, fast bowler and captain to injuries. The English game is mourning the death of Graham Thorpe. How apt, then, that another Surrey batter will lead England in the first Test against Sri Lanka in Manchester on Wednesday.
On that occasion, Root left a note for his deputy Stokes telling him to “do it your way”, and England promptly dropped Stuart Broad. The have been no such ructions this time around.Pope will have been on high alert for the near two years he has been vice-captain, given the state of Stokes’ left knee before he finally had surgery in November. How ironic that once the knee is fixed, Stokes has succumbed to a hamstring injury.
Clearly, his experience of leadership in professional cricket is limited, but such is the way for modern England captains. There is no shortage of knowledge around him, especially with Stokes remaining in the dressing room throughout this three-match series. There is perhaps an argument Stokes should have stayed away to allow Pope to stand on his own two feet, even if Pope says Stokes won’t be a “backseat driver”.
It is therefore slightly curious that, on this occasion, England have chosen to replace Stokes with a seamer in Matthew Potts. If, say, Stokes had been fit to bat but not bowl, England probably would have reverted to only four bowlers, as they have in the past. That is not to say Lawrence does not deserve his chance. He has spent so long making drinks as the spare batter he could apply for a job as a barista, and his attacking instincts make him a natural component of Bazball.
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