'Pope and England's chance to prepare for life without Stokes'

A batch has happened successful nan 23 days since England past played Test cricket.

They person sacked a white-ball coach and mislaid an opener, accelerated bowler and skipper to injuries. The English crippled is mourning nan decease of Graham Thorpe. How apt, then, that different Surrey batter will lead England successful nan first Test against Sri Lanka successful Manchester connected Wednesday.

While Ollie Pope becomes nan 82nd man to skipper England successful a Test, this will stay Ben Stokes’ team. When Stokes arrived astatine Emirates Old Trafford connected Monday - shades on, achromatic sweater draped crossed his shoulders for illustration a cape, flanked by 4 members of nan England statement dressed successful their achromatic training gear, it was difficult not to deliberation of nan wounded don surrounded by his henchmen.

England do not alteration skipper very often. Since 2009, only 4 men person led England successful Tests. In nan aforesaid time, location person been 7 different UK premier ministers.

The request for a stand-in has been rare, too. An England skipper has not sat retired done wounded since Michael Vaughan 17 years ago, and conscionable erstwhile successful England’s past 177 Tests has nan full-time skipper missed a lucifer - erstwhile Joe Root was astatine nan commencement of his 2nd kid successful 2020.

On that occasion, Root near a statement for his lawman Stokes telling him to “do it your way”, and England promptly dropped Stuart Broad. The person been nary specified ructions this clip around.

Pope will person been connected precocious alert for nan adjacent 2 years he has been vice-captain, fixed nan authorities of Stokes’ near knee earlier he yet had room successful November. How ironic that erstwhile nan knee is fixed, Stokes has succumbed to a hamstring injury. Old Trafford will extremity a tally of 32 consecutive Tests for Stokes, nan longest successful his 105-match career.

For each of their talk of Ashes planning, Stokes’ wounded has thrown England nan opportunity to hole for nan Doomsday script of nan skipper being unavailable for nan travel to Australia successful small complete a year’s time.

Without nan request for a conclave, Pope was anointed arsenic adjacent successful statement for nan Pakistan circuit successful 2022.

The 26-year-old was first touted arsenic a early England skipper by his erstwhile Surrey team-mate Scott Borthwick, who is adjacent capable to Stokes to person been champion man astatine his wedding. England squad head Wayne Bentley has carried astir Pope’s captaincy blazer for nan past year, conscionable successful lawsuit he had to measurement up successful an emergency.

Pope has led England successful warm-up matches, was very publically progressive successful action meetings connected nan outfield during nan circuit of India earlier this twelvemonth and astir precocious has taken complaint of Surrey successful nan T20 Blast, to spell pinch 1 County Championship lucifer 3 years ago.

Clearly, his acquisition of activity successful master cricket is limited, but specified is nan measurement for modern England captains. There is nary shortage of knowledge astir him, particularly pinch Stokes remaining successful nan dressing room passim this three-match series. There is possibly an statement Stokes should person stayed distant to let Pope to guidelines connected his ain 2 feet, moreover if Pope says Stokes won’t beryllium a “backseat driver”.

While it is ever intriguing to spot really a caller skipper goes astir things, England’s method is ingrained, truthful we are improbable to witnesser immoderate extremist changes. It is simply a rustle to suffer Stokes’ aura, characteristic and tactical creativity, yet it is besides invaluable for Pope to study nan occupation successful nan arena of different wounded to nan skipper, aliases for erstwhile Stokes is skipper nary more.

What Pope will soon realise, if he isn’t already good aware, is losing Ben Stokes nan skipper is arsenic problematic arsenic losing Ben Stokes nan all-rounder. In that sense, Stokes really is irreplaceable.

When Stokes’ knee problems were astatine their worst, England either muddled done pinch Chris Woakes and Moeen Ali arsenic all-rounders, aliases mislaid a small equilibrium by fielding only 4 master bowlers.

It is truthful somewhat funny that, connected this occasion, England person chosen to switch Stokes pinch a seamer successful Matthew Potts. If, say, Stokes had been fresh to bat but not bowl, England astir apt would person reverted to only 4 bowlers, arsenic they person successful nan past.

We tin conjecture astatine nan reasoning. With each owed respect to Sri Lanka, England whitethorn consciousness they tin get distant pinch a somewhat longer tail than if this was nan first Ashes Test successful Perth. Wicketkeeper Jamie Smith has already shown his imaginable to bat successful nan apical six and Woakes, astatine seven, is astir apt nan adjacent champion all-rounder successful nan state down Stokes. Three Tests successful 3 weeks is different logic to dispersed nan pace-bowling load crossed 4 men, alternatively than three.

If nan equilibrium of nan England squad is sub-optimal, past truthful is asking Dan Lawrence to unfastened successful spot of nan injured Zak Crawley.

That is not to opportunity Lawrence does not merit his chance. He has spent truthful agelong making drinks arsenic nan spare batter he could use for a occupation arsenic a barista, and his attacking instincts make him a earthy constituent of Bazball.

He came done nan ranks astatine Essex arsenic an opener and, should Crawley stay retired for a while aliases Lawrence make an irresistible lawsuit to stay successful nan team, his off-breaks will beryllium useful successful Pakistan successful October. Again, if nan guidance were stronger aliases nan stakes higher, possibly England would person opted for a master for illustration Keaton Jennings.

There are, then, stand-ins everyplace you look. Pope nan captain, Lawrence nan opener, Potts nan seamer. Harry Brook is nan substitute vice-captain.

Old Trafford has history for specified scenarios. In 1999, Mark Butcher, different Surrey batter, deputised for nan injured Nasser Hussain arsenic England skipper against New Zealand earlier being dropped for nan adjacent Test.

Pope will not suffer nan aforesaid fate. He and England must return nan chance to hole for nan unthinkable - life without Ben Stokes.