On the eve of the first Test, at the ground that carries his name, the great Sir Vivian Richards was asked about the absence of Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad but instead decided to largely ignore the question and deliver a hymn of praise for Zak Crawley.
“A magnificent player,” purred Richards, urging England to give the 24-year-old time to flourish; to accept that, as a tall right-hander with an array of attacking shots at the top of the order, the first phase of his Test career may be hit and miss.
