The China Mail - England captain Stokes defends hundred hero Pope from negative 'agenda'

England won the opening match of their 2025 home season by the commanding margin of an innings and 45 runs on Saturday as a one-off Test scheduled for four days was wrapped up before tea on the third. Off-spinner Shoaib Bashir applied the finishing touches in a Test-best haul of 6-81.

The course of the game had been set by three top-order hundreds from Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley and Pope, whose 171 was the biggest contribution of all to an England first-innings total of 565-6 declared.

Crawley and Pope had their places in the team called into question before the squad arrived in Nottingham. Critics said their places would be under threat with rising star Jacob Bethell returning from the IPL ahead of the upcoming five-Test series at home to India.

England captain Stokes fuelled the speculation when, in a pre-match press conference, he lauded Bethell and added: "I think you put two and two together and you probably know what's going to happen."

The all-rounder has since clarified his remarks by insisting he was suggesting Bethell would make an immediate return to the Test squad, rather than the playing XI.

"There's always someone going to be under the spotlight," Stokes told the BBC. "I've personally felt that it was a bit of –- not a vendetta -– but I got asked a simple question about Bethell.

"I said, 'put two and two together, he comes back into the squad' and then all of a sudden it turns into something that suits the agenda of the time.

"It is unfortunate that you say something and it can get twisted. I made it very clear to Popey the night before this Test that is not the case. He's my vice-captain and he's been incredible for me and the team at number three. I'm very, very pleased for him that he went out there and played the way that he did."

- 'Odd story' -

Bashir was named player-of-the match after he put a woeful start to the county campaign behind him in style.

England have continued to show faith in the 21-year-old even though Bashir cannot hold down a place in the Somerset side, while an early-season loan spell at Glamorgan yielded just two first-class wickets at a colossally expensive average of 152.

Bashir, however, took nine wickets in Nottingham across both innings.

"I know it's an odd story to look at, I can understand why it's one of those things where people find it hard to believe," said Stokes of Bashir's unusual career path. "But those decisions in terms of who we pick, who we play and who we back, are ours to make.

"If he keeps putting in performances like he has done this week, then hopefully one day it'll make sense to everyone why we pick him," added Stokes, with Bashir now the youngest England bowler to take 50 Test wickets.

Saturday's play was also notable for a stunning diving slip catch by Harry Brook off Stokes' bowling to dismiss Wesley Madhevere.

It bore comparison to Stokes' superlative Trent Bridge effort of a decade ago when his brilliant one-handed grab to get rid of Australia's Adam Voges formed part of Stuart Broad's stunning haul of 8-15 in an Ashes-clinching triumph.

Stokes, rather than the now retired Broad, was the bowler left looking on in disbelief this time, with the all-rounder saying his former team-mate had told him after stumps on Saturday how he had experienced "the same feeling" back in 2015.

"He (Broad) thought it was going for four, and then I caught it. And then I thought it was going for four, and then Brook's hand just came out of nowhere and latched onto it...It was a seriously, seriously impressive catch."

Q.Yam--ThChM