PETER HAYTER

The grimace on the face of England’s talisman was bad enough. The expression into which Andrew Strauss’ features would have formed must have been just as anxious, not least because he has seen this kind of thing before.
Ultimately, even though he probably reasoned he had as much chance of stopping Ben Stokes from signing up for the Indian Premier League riches as persuading him to take up flower-arranging, it was Strauss who, as director of England cricket, had given his permission for England’s all-rounder to stay in India with Rising Pune Supergiant for a...