The opposition was never formidable but England’s predicament was. After the defeat at Centurion in the first Test the wheels were coming off. A flu epidemic had been rampaging through the squad; Ben Stokes, the heartbeat of the side, was having to deal with his father’s very serious health concerns. Then on the eve of the second Test there was a more conventional setback because of a problem with Jofra Archer’s elbow followed by the more exasperating football injury to Rory Burns, which seemed like a microcosm of an expedition out of control.
Yet England won the next three Tests emphatically. In part this highlights the fragility of their opponents. South Africa had too many debutants, albeit old ones, too many senior players struggling for form, too many issues beyond the boundary. But it also reflects the calmness of England’s management team, with the soft-spoken Yorkshiremen Chris Silverwood and Joe Root at the helm.
We will never know exactly how they managed to keep the squad together, but they did. “I could see the determination on their faces in the dressing room after the defeat at Centurion. The standard of training after that was superb,” Silverwood told the Test Match Special podcast after the win in Johannesburg. “We stayed tight as a unit,” said Root, who praised not only the youngsters but also the older lags for giving the novices the freedom to express themselves. Except in the literal sense there was a very healthy atmosphere within this squad even when it was all going wrong.
Root and the far more invisible Silverwood deserve much credit. The outcome of the series was very important for both of them. At the start of the tour there was a lot of noise about whether Root should be the captain and, from the outside, there were doubts about Silverwood’s appointment: Chris who? For some it is reassuring to have a household name in charge as if being a great international cricketer automatically transfers into being a great coach; and when it all goes wrong it is much more fun for the sages to agonise over the worth of an immediately identifiable national figure. Now this victory must give Silverwood more confidence in his role, though he will, just like his predecessor, Trevor Bayliss, point out that in cricket it is the players that win games or series, not coaches.
Of course it was impossible to ignore Stokes throughout the past five weeks. Talking to Jonathan Agnew after the win at the Wanderers he gave a little insight into his trials and the support he has received along the way. “Before the first Test I told my dad I was going to play and he looked at me with the most stupid of faces and said: ‘Obviously, you are.’ Now dad looks like he’s going to be travelling home [to New Zealand] and that’s more pleasing than winning the series.”
But no one doubts Stokes’s absolute commitment to the team. “There was always someone available to talk to,” he said, “and not just among the players. In a situation like that [his father’s illness] it’s something that hits you and you are in a place you’re not used to. The modern way is that people are not so afraid to talk, to let off steam and let someone know how you’re feeling. Before the Test I spoke to a few people in the backroom staff about how I was feeling emotionally and I felt so much better for doing that. Two or three years ago I would have kept it internal and who knows what would have happened?”
Here is another sign of good management all round. It is still early days but Silverwood gives the impression of being a sympathetic coach yet sufficiently strong to impose his vision of how the team should play. “It was great to see the lads pull together and see the blueprint come alive,” he said. His instincts involve more carrots than sticks.
The next Test series is in Sri Lanka in March, which represents a very different challenge. The spinners rather than the pacemen will be bowling most of the overs. At least three will be required in the squad – in addition to Root. The best combination would probably see the Somerset pair of Dom Bess and Jack Leach joining forces with Moeen Ali. Again the Silverwood approach is more cooperative rather than confrontational.
Moeen is in the squads for the white-ball matches in South Africa and Silverwood will be chatting to him soon. “Mo has got to let us know how he feels and whatever he decides I’ll give him my full backing. I love having Mo around and so does the team. But he’s got to be ready.”
Finding the best combination of spinners is one of several key decisions to be made. The perennial questions will also resurface. Who bats at No 3? Who keeps wicket? And then there is the puzzle of which pacemen to take to a country that can test the good humour of the most equable of seam bowlers. At least in this department Silverwood and his fellow selectors are now picking from strength. There is no longer the imperative to depend upon the senior citizens, who may well be given a break. In all these decisions the voice of Silverwood, even though it will not be raised, may now carry a little more weight.