It was, of course, inevitable that Test cricket’s return to this parched England summer would bring with it the welcoming relief of rain. Seeking an end to a long dry spell? Well, scheduling a first men’s international red-ball fixture for seven sun-soaked weeks has done the trick with an altogether spottier forecast for Headingley.
That drought has taken with it a coach and a captain, the dead-heading that felt inevitable after a barren winter postponed from spring to summer to bring about a regime change of curious timing. Already, one might suggest, a series has been squandered; the risk now for England is not letting another slip as they look to germinate and bed in a crop that it is hoped can be made to flourish with a little more careful nurturing.
Back to tend the garden in his own backyard is one of Yorkshire’s own – though that would have been true had England landed on the other side of a choice of flawed options. It could be said, though, that Joe Root’s perennial status as his side’s man for a crisis has counted in his favour as he is tossed an unenviable duty once more. Having got the nod ahead of Harry Brook, Root has spoken well in his limited media dealings since being reappointed Test captain of learning from the mistakes and missteps of his first stint – both those of his own and from figures above him, who saddled their skipper with duties that reached beyond the remit of an already-challenging role during the Covid pandemic particularly.
The headline statistic of one win in 17 games – now 18 after his mid-New Zealand series interregnum – at the end of his first tenure must be considered in that context. Root the captain has always felt difficult to figure out; not as demonstrative, dynamic or idealogical as Ben Stokes, flexibility will be key to make the most of a side in flux after his good mate and predecessor’s retirement. He will have to make do initially with an interim coach, too – Marcus Trescothick oversees matters with Stephen Fleming not in situ until September. A quick turnaround from the Hundred final may be another issue.
It is a camel of an XI chosen by England’s evolving selection committee, with Jacob Bethell’s injury presenting another headache. Jordan Cox and Dan Lawrence will both perform unfamiliar duties, at least at international level, as a new No 3 and all-rounder of sorts; the installation of two free-scorers indicates that England’s batters are not about to disavow the power of positivity. That they may go in without a specialist spinner even in these withered times speaks to wider issues, and a pace unit of exciting parts that it is hoped will begin to form a more cohesive whole.
No doubt, though, there will be plenty on the shoulders of a captain lacking senior heads around him. Brook will be a valuable voice, yes, but there is an inherent risk of all of this causing harm to Root’s run-making at a time where England may need him more than ever. “At the start of the first time I did it, I do think it had an impact on me,” Root reflected to Sky Sports on that very topic. “But you look at the end of my time as captain, and I think that is the best I’ve ever batted. I think I got over 1,500 runs that year [2021], and if I could do that with Covid and everything else that was going on at that time, I think we’ll be alright.”
Plenty, then, for England to contend with but their visitors may merely shrug their shoulders given their comfort with chaos. It is a first Test series here for six years for Pakistan, who have made an unusually quiet arrival on these shores on the back of a split, sparsely attended series in the West Indies in a battle of the basement dwellers in the World Test Championship table. That lowly status shows a faded force not helped by the consistent interference from above and short-term thinking that has long worked against Pakistan.
Sarfaraz Ahmed is the current occupier of the ever-changing office of Test head coach, while Babar Azam has, like Root, returned as captain – though is a slight doubt after taking a sore blow to the hand from talented teenager Manny Lumsden in a warm-up game at Beckenham. Shan Masood, the previous skipper, should be fit after his own finger injury. Their chief threat with the ball is likely to come from the metronomic Mohammad Abbas, who will surely whir away on a length with the “keeper up to the stumps” given the success Australia and New Zealand have enjoyed against England with that method of attack in recent series.
One would not rule out a side capable of capricious majesty, and certainly if the pitches do take turn. There can be no doubting, though, that this is another relatively welcome arrival for England as they seek new life.