After England secured a 3-0 win over the West Indies, the Sky Sports Cricket panel discuss the development of Ben Stokes’ Test team, the new names who have impressed and what lies ahead with the home series against Sri Lanka and beyond…

Have England further developed their ‘Bazball’ approach?

Former England captain and Sky Sports Cricket expert Michael Atherton:

“From what (England Test head coach) Brendon McCullum said at the end of the India series, we were all fascinated to see what would happen because he did use the word refinement.

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“He didn’t say ‘we’re going to rip up the script’, and I think that would have been a very stupid thing to do, given the cricket we’ve seen from this team over the last few years. There have been times when we’ve been critical of the approach when they’ve had teams on the ropes and not quite following through.

“I don’t know whether you would call it maturity or more of a moderation. Brendon uses the word ‘refinement’ and Ben Stokes uses the word ‘smarter cricket’. I think everyone knows what they mean.

“We’ve seen it a few times in this series. If you were to say there was one passage in the game that summed up the new ‘Bazball’ model, it would be the partnership between Joe Root and Harry Brook under pressure (in the second Test) at Trent Bridge.”

What does the future hold for spinner Shoaib Bashir?

Former England batsman and Sky Sports Cricket expert Mark Butcher:

“I think the difference with Shoaib Bashir compared to Rehan Ahmed or Will Jacks, who both had their moments in Pakistan, is perhaps that he has a real base and fundamental ability in terms of his control of length and line, and the fact that even at such a young age he is able to get up and down in terms of pace and flight. He is really skilful.

“He’s not someone who gets angry or irritated when someone comes after him. He welcomes it and he seems to know himself well enough to know where he wants his outfield players and what he’s going to do.

“That’s incredible for someone of his young age and it gives you an idea of ​​how good he could be, so that’s a big plus for the selection committee.”

Former England bowler and Sky Sports Cricket pundit Stuart Broad:

“I think he’s been picked with half an eye on the Ashes and I don’t think England are making excuses for being more forward-looking than they have been in the past.

“Technically he has some really good qualities that you want in Australia. You can imagine him bowling at the Gabba with leg slip and short leg and bouncing the ball over the leg stump.

“Bashir probably won’t be tested too much this summer in these conditions, but it will be very interesting to see him play against Pakistan, where they might use him a bit more aggressively on different surfaces.

“If you go to Australia and you go to the Gabba, the Aussies will come at you, they’ll attack you and try to knock you out of the attack. That’s where playing now, building up the experience and playing in Test match cricket and different conditions around the world prepares you for those huge, stressful moments.”

Gus Atkinson and England’s seam options for Sri Lanka

Former England bowler and Sky Sports Cricket pundit Stuart Broad:

“Atkinson has adapted really well and like Bashir I don’t care how many wickets he takes in this series and there are undoubtedly tougher tests ahead of him, but it’s the attributes he’s shown. He’s tall, he’s got good pace, he’s very accurate in controlling his length.

“I thought he was just a wobble-seam bowler, but throughout the series he’s shown he can swing the ball. He just turned it around a bit towards the end at Trent Bridge and Edgbaston, and he’s shown the qualities you’d expect from a Test match-type bowler.

“It was an incredible start to his international career. He took the new ball for England, which he rarely does for Surrey. It was also the first time he had played three consecutive first-class games and he did that in Test matches.

“He ticks all the boxes and he still has to work on things that will help him further and develop him further, but this is the perfect start to a test career.”

Former England captain and Sky Sports Cricket expert Michael Atherton:

“I think they really like Josh Tongue. He’s injured and his fitness record is questionable, but if he’s fit they like him and would like to get him back in the mix, and they’ll take him to Australia if he’s fit.

“They really like John Turner at Hampshire, he’s sharp. I can see Dillon Pennington getting a chance in the Sri Lanka series and don’t forget Matthew Potts, who’s had a good start to his Test career in 2022.

“He looks like a strong bowler and I imagine you could compare him to someone like Scott Boland in Australia. He’s not necessarily going to be your strike bowler in an environment like Australia, but maybe Potts can learn to grow into that role.”

How have McCullum and Stokes created an environment in which newcomers can flourish?

Former England batsman and Sky Sports Cricket expert Mark Butcher:

“We all remember our Test match debuts and it wasn’t exactly comfortable. The people who lasted were pretty stubborn and they had to be; you had to know how to look after yourself, get into that team, stay in that team and deliver what you did best, and the things you had done at county level.

“In this formation you can come in with a talent and they will welcome you and let you flourish in the dressing room, no matter what. You are not so focused on the result and it is a bit not based on results, but that makes it easier to perform well, score hundreds and get five points, and then it goes back to the individuals themselves.

“It’s not just about what these guys can do for you, it’s about what you can do for yourself – are you stubborn enough, are you strong enough to deliver this level of performance day after day, to come back from setbacks and do it again? Then everyone will rally around the individual and help you do it.”

Former England bowler and Sky Sports Cricket pundit Stuart Broad:

“There won’t be any tactical discussion or review, but Brendon McCullum will get everyone together and just go around the dressing room asking the players what they thought of the run.

“Instead of hearing the same voices over and over again, he picks different people, whether they’ve played two Tests or 130, and he wants to know what happened and how you felt in that environment.

“It makes sure that there are a lot of different voices in the locker room and that everyone feels comfortable.”

England’s Test series against Sri Lanka

• 1st Test, Old Trafford – August 21-25.
• 2nd test, Lord – August 29-September 2
• 3rd test, The Oval – September 6-10

England’s three-Test series against Sri Lanka begins at Old Trafford in Manchester on Wednesday, August 21. Watch live on Sky Sports Cricket from 10am (first ball 11am).

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(c) Sky Sports 2024: Bazball refinement, Shoaib Bashir and Gus Atkinson flourish – Sky Sports Cricket experts’ views on England