At a time when England was facing an identity crisis in test cricket the dawn of Bazball has bought new life and has been a driving force for a positive change But even with their new approach they had a familiar problem the lack of a wicket-taking bowler in alien conditions With Jofra Archer their star fast bowler still not fully fit England were faced with the task of finding an adequate replacement It seems they might have found the perfect solution in Matthew Potts
Potts an athletic fast bowler from Chester-le-Street made his England debut earlier this year against New Zealand What was impressive was how quickly he adapted to the circumstances and became England s main strike bowler However the real test for him was yet to come as he made his first overseas Test appearance in Pakistan
And what a debut it was as Potts took four wickets to stake his claim to be featured in England s plans for the next Ashes On a track which the England pacers failed to generate any swing Potts used his variations skilfully and exploited the home team s profligacy He did what no other England bowler had achieved in Pakistan for nearly two decades by bagging a four-wicket haul in an overseas Test match
What was impressive about Potts was how he read the situation and mixed his deliveries to perfection His extra bounce and pace caused problems for the Pakistan batters who failed to capitalise on a flat Karachi surface With Anderson and Broad nearing the end of their careers Potts with his pace and guile has all the makings of a bowler who could provide a fresh dimension to England s attack
Potts along with Ollie Robinson forms a strike partnership which looks ominous and could give England their best chance of competing in Australia The pair has the potential to bring a new aggressive approach to the England attack as they mix short-pitched deliveries with their unique ability to swing the ball So while Potts might have never been on the radar as the original Bazballer his outstanding first overseas test might just have convinced McCullum and Stokes of his suitability for a key role in their master plan