Dom Bess prepares to make his England debut in first Test against Pakistan as yet another new era dawns
There will be a brand new look to this England side, with 20-year-old spinner Bess confirmed to make his international debut – the start his captain Joe Root hopes of a long career
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Your support makes all the difference.In recent times it has in all honesty become slightly difficult to keep track of just how many ‘new eras’ the England cricket team has attempted to begin. Tomorrow they hope, via the medium of new national selector Ed Smith, that another starts – Pakistan the opponents in the summer’s curtain-raiser at Lord’s.
In one way at least there will be a brand new look to this England side, with 20-year-old spinner Dom Bess confirmed to make his international debut – the start his captain Joe Root hopes of a long career.
“He is a very confident young man,” Root told the assembled media at Lord’s. “He’s got a lot of energy as you’d expect and you know he seems like he’s really clear about what he wants to do in the game and how he’s going to approach this week.
“That’s all you can really ask of someone making their debut which is really exciting for me as captain.”
In almost any other situation the selection of Bess, with just 16 First Class games to his name, would be dominating the headlines but these are not ordinary circumstances, and the return of Jos Buttler from Test exile has been the week’s biggest talking point – an exciting new toy for England’s skipper as he looks to try and get the Test team back on track.
“We want to make sure that we’ve got a side that covers as much as possible and that gives us as many options and the best options we can have in each department,” said Root. “You look at having someone like Jos at number seven and what he can bring I think that’s a really exciting and integral part of our batting unit.
“He has the ability to take the game to the opposition and from a position of strength to make it even stronger and maximise the top order’s runs. And also with the tail to be really cute and smart and get the best out of them as well.
“You look at the way he approaches his white ball cricket and there’s a lot of that which I think can cross over. He is a very smart cricketer, he’s got a good brain, as vice-captain he’s got a lot of experience in white ball cricket and I think that can transfer and this is an opportunity for him to do that in Test cricket.”
The prospect of white-ball Jos Buttler unleashed against the red ball of Test cricket is indeed a fearsome one and it is clear why the selectors have been so seduced by it, even if he only has very limited recent first class experience under his belt – a route to selection Root described as ‘a very individual case’.
And a day out from the first Test of the summer, England’s captain was not giving a huge amount away, clearly focused on the task ahead of him and determined to put a very disappointing winter behind him and the team. Something it seemed clear had been discussed among the squad at length in the build up to this series.
“We’ve spent enough time talking about the winter and the lessons we need to get right and the areas that we want to improve on, it’s now about going out and doing it,” said Root.
“The start of that was in the build up to this game and I suppose now our challenge is maintaining that and making it better if we can throughout this summer.”
One weapon now available that was not at his disposal this winter is Ben Stokes, both back in from the cold following his night to forget in Bristol and back to full fitness having battled with injury during the tour of New Zealand – Root clearly seemed pleased to have his erstwhile vice-captain back in the fold.
“To have him around the squad is always a massive boost for us,” said Root. “And to have his bowling as well will obviously add to our attack and give us a different dimension, so that’s very pleasing for me as a captain and us as a side.”
Who joins him in England’s bowling attack is yet to be fully decided, with one of Mark Wood or Chris Woakes completing England’s XI. It is thought that the pair might play a Test each in the upcoming two-match series with Wood perhaps slightly more likely to start this one, but Root insisted a decision would be made on the morning of the game. For now all the talk about hopes for the future and turning over new leaves is over, tomorrow Root and the rest of his team have to start putting those words into practice.
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