Pakistan vs England: How the audacity of Ben Stokes - and a bit of luck - revived England's Test fortunes

Coming into the second cycle of the WTC, England would have been confident of their chances of making it to the final, given the sheer volume of Test cricket they still play. 

However, their form towards the end of Joe Root’s captaincy was so poor that they were out of contention for a spot in the final by the time Stokes and McCullum took over. 

Since then however, England has played like a team possessed. They have won Tests more often than not by being extremely aggressive with both the bat and ball. 

Yet while their general renewed aggression has not gone amiss, it’s hard not to also focus on the kind of role Stokes himself has played in this revival. 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">James Anderson is lost for words 🤣<br><br>Nasser Hussain 🆚 Ben Stokes... <a href="https://t.co/Vwbs1THOAC">pic.twitter.com/Vwbs1THOAC</a></p>&mdash; Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) <a href="https://twitter.com/SkyCricket/status/1604032390447435777?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Under his leadership, England are not at all averse to risk-taking, which shouldn’t be a surprise given Stokes is precisely the kind of player who loves taking risks – who can forget when he reverse swept Nathan Lyon for a six during that innings at Headingly in 2019? 

But more than just risk-taking, it’s also about self-belief and backing oneself no matter what. England is now the team who believes they can beat anyone in any conditions. 

And mind you, there’s some truth to the adage that to succeed at the elite level of sport, you need unshakeable self-belief. 

Ability is well and good, but it matters little when you aren’t confident. And that was what England lacked until recently – the belief they could win Test matches without playing conservatively. 

Such is the self-belief in the squad now that Root, once seen as the guardian of the old-fashioned style of play, can back himself to bat left-handed for two balls. 

But it isn’t just on the field that the Stokes impact can be seen. It’s also evident in England’s off-field approach, especially when it comes to bringing in new talent or reviving old ones. 

Under the previous administration, James Anderson and Stuart Broad had been all but ditched. Stokes brought them back, which has proven to be the right move. 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="nl" dir="ltr">Ben Stokes is ___________ <a href="https://t.co/avGZEFU2Z0">pic.twitter.com/avGZEFU2Z0</a></p>&mdash; England&#39;s Barmy Army (@TheBarmyArmy) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheBarmyArmy/status/1602614553598169088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 13, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Stokes was also key to giving Rehan Ahmed his debut in the third Test against Karachi. Ahmed repaid the faith well, taking two wickets on debut as England put themselves in a good position on Day 1. 

Furthermore, England is also sending a message of intent to world cricket. They are saying that, come 2024 and beyond, they intend to be the team to beat in Test match cricket. 

Such a notion might have been scoffed at in the not-so-distant past. But this very self-belief led England to the 2019 ICC World Cup and 2022 T20 World Cup. 

So write off their recent Test revival as a flash in the pan at your peril. Bazball, whether or not you like it, is here to stay.