For England’s elite batting coach, the Test team’s new all-out attack mindset has its drawbacks. While previous incumbents could be forgiven for letting their minds wander during sedate throw-down drills in the nets, Marcus Trescothick must contend with batsmen bringing their blitz approach to close quarters. He has already worn one crunching shot to the chest. “It’s an occupational hazard,” is his phlegmatic outlook.
But away from being peppered in sessions he describes as “like white-ball T20 practice because the ball is flying back left, right and centre”, few are better placed to assess England’s ultra-aggressive approach, one the captain, Ben Stokes, has pledged to continue – and indeed accelerate – in the second Test against Pakistan in Multan on Friday.
