by My daughter Annabella was one month old yesterday and being a first-time dad is indescribable. I certainly have no words for the feeling I felt for the first 20 minutes after he was born. It was just complete contentment.
Of course, I gave up on the Pakistan tour to be home with Mollie and our new arrival, knowing that I would have regretted not being there for this incredibly special time.
When you don’t have children and you hear some people say that becoming a parent is the best time of your life, you kind of say to yourself, ‘Okay. OKAY. Not that five-for at Trent Bridge, then?
England’s positive group mentality is why they have performed so well over the past 12 months
Ben Stokes’ England side took control with a 281-point lead over Pakistan on Saturday
I wouldn’t get out of this newborn bubble for anything in the world. Available at any time for a diaper change. I try to get a few hours or even a few minutes of sleep whenever I can. Crawling around the petrified house, even the sound of a boiling kettle could wake this 3.5kg bundle of joy.
Over the years many teammates have returned home from cricket matches abroad after a birth, so I feel very lucky to be in this position.
England manager Brendon McCullum is the one I have to thank for granting it and I feel lucky to be 36 and not 23 because at the start of an international career – when you scratch for every inch of recognition that you get – you probably can. I haven’t even increased the optional paternity leave.
Fatherhood has meant getting up at 3am every day and that has coincided with the very enjoyable experience of watching England from afar.
Jack Leach (right) won his 100th Test wicket in the second Test in Multan against Pakistan
England generally feel they can win from any position and that showed in Pakistan
I can’t think of any other international team whose style of play would have allowed them to force a result in Rawalpindi in the first Test – the way four hitters set things up with quick hundreds, giving the time to the late in the game to take those last 10 wickets was unbelievable.
And they raised the bar. Yes, it’s more or less the same group of players who have won six of the seven Test matches this summer. But they entered in completely foreign conditions and arguably made Pakistan look like the away team.
The challenge was always going to be to go overseas and replicate what we did at home in 2022.
The message in the locker room will have been to attack more, be more aggressive and move the game forward.
Nothing sums that up better than the day one performance in Multan. A score of 281 in the first inning might not seem like a lot, but consider that it was only achieved in 52 overs.
Many teams I’ve played in would have been at 120 in the same period, doing what Pakistan did: dig their way in and fight.
Leach kicked Mohammad Rizwan (right) as he ran the ball past the batter’s foot to hit the center
Brendon McCullum has instilled an attitude in the team to only look to win the next game
This kind of old-fashioned approach can meet the demands of the fans, but it also puts pressure on yourself, and when you make a mistake you can suddenly lose six wickets for 20 runs and the game is over.
By contrast, England’s batting on day one prompted Pakistan to throw bad balls and also gave their bowlers something to play for.
The biggest compliment of all came from Pakistan board chairman Ramiz Raja when he said his side needed to play a bit more like England.
We really feel we can win from any position. Twelve months ago, such feelings didn’t exist, so yes, it’s been an incredible turnaround, but the change hasn’t been technical or tactical.
Ben Stokes (right) and Harry Brook (left) closed the game on Saturday with Brook amassing 74
Ben Duckett (right) performed very well giving England a strong start by scoring 79 points
It’s just about the positive and energetic mentality within the group. England teams had won six home Tests in a summer before, but not in the same style.
And they certainly haven’t gone to Asia and put on performances like they have so far, so you can see why Rawalpindi was considered one of, if not the biggest, victory of the history of the Test of our country.
In style and execution it was incredible and while it might not have been England’s most significant win, it would be hard to imagine a more impressive one.
It’s an environment that everyone wants to be part of. I can’t wait to get on the plane on January 28 for the two-test series in New Zealand.
New dad Stuart Broad (pictured) is delighted to report back to work for England soon
Then there’s the big summer that also whets everyone’s appetite – or everyone outside of our locker room. The Ashes is not something we are focusing on now.
It’s a lot day to day. We will focus on trying to win the next game ahead of us. Brendon’s big line is to stay where your shoes are. Don’t stray to distant things.
That’s how he coaches and wants his team to play, so I think it would be a mistake for any player to think about Australia. I’m just excited to report for international duty again.
People ask how hard it is to change your mindset when you’ve already played over 150 tests in a different way.
Well, as a player at 36, it’s so nice. It’s almost like showing up for your club on a Saturday and paying five to play while retaining the prestige and honor of earning another cap.
I feel very lucky that this is the style of cricket I will be involved in as I combine being a new father with playing for England in the twilight of my career.
