It was a long time coming, but John Simpson proved himself on the international stage behind the stumps. He spoke to Dan Whiting

It’s a quarter past eight in the morning in a hotel room in Cheltenham and John Simpson is halfway through a lateral flow test that has become routine for county cricketers. The phone rings from an unknown number: having a swab in his nostril, he ignores it. A message comes up that will change his life. It reads “Simmo, it’s Spoons. Can you give me a call?” Spoons is former team-mate Chris Silverwood, now in charge of the England ...