Ben Stokes has given his players a clean slate and a supportive arm to kick off his time in charge of the Test team.
The new England captain insisted it would be a fresh start for the side under him after a year of chronic underachievement. And having been through so much himself on and off the field Stokes reckons he now has the tools to cope with the demands of the job to get the best out of his players.
“It’s a very easy thing to say but hopefully I can get the message across that this is a clean slate,” said Stokes. “So all your previous performances, good or bad, we’re just starting fresh here. We are picking you because we feel like you are one of the best players in England. Everything that has happened before, don’t worry about it, we are starting fresh here.”
