England's young guns have been told by Ben Stokes to go out and make their mark in the Test arena with a blank canvas on which to paint their masterpieces.
Whether it is Zak Crawley or Ollie Pope with the bat, or Matt Potts with the ball this week, all three have been backed to the hilt by their captain to deliver on the biggest stage.
In the case of top order batters Crawley and Pope, entering the fray at No.2 and 3, there have been glimpses of what they are capable of already. While he is in the middle Crawley is a dominant figure who uses his extra reach to knock bowlers off their length, the issue is avoiding the wide balls that only he can edge.
The same goes for Pope who has all the shots, but has cut an increasingly agitated and fidgety figure who has lost the control that has got him this far. And his move to No.3 for the first time with senior players Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow filling in at four and five is a gamble on a player yet to deliver on his promise. But none of that matters to Stokes though, who is giving both men a fresh start in the hope that he and Brendon McCullum will help them flourish.
Stokes said: “I really do believe that under myself and Brendon that we will be able to get the best out of them. As soon as I took the role on, one of the things that I made very clear is that I want Ollie Pope in my Test team. He's such a good player and I see him having a huge future in an England shirt. It was just about making a decision where we see him fitting in in that batting order.
“I just hope that under mine and Baz’s laidback and ‘go-and-express-yourself’ way that the world will get to see what Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope are all about. I just see this as a complete and utter blank canvas for this Test team going forward. This is our time and we are going to dictate how things go going forward. It is a fresh start for everyone.”
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There are no scars on Potts just yet either as the 23-year-old seamer makes his Test debut as the form bowler in the county game. He has also shown precisely the selfless qualities that Stokes is looking for from his players. “I spent three games playing with him back at Durham and have watched him progress and he has been outstanding,” added Stokes. “He’s managed to create things out of nowhere. The thing that really made my mind up about Potts getting this opportunity was when he bowled us to victory against Glamorgan.
“He turned up on day four with a bit of a stiff side and someone in his situation with Test selection coming round the corner could have just sat back and said ‘no I am going to just look after myself here’ but he didn’t. He ran in and he won the game for Durham. That’s the attitude that sets you at the next level and really makes you open your eyes that this kid is ready, he’s been phenomenal.” With Stuart Broad and James Anderson alongside Potts for his first taste of international cricket, England still have plenty of experience to call on, and the returning duo have been given the freshest of starts too.
