England captain Ben Stokes has backed vice-captain Ollie Pope after his superb century against Zimbabwe helped silence critics questioning his place in the team. Pope’s commanding 171 at Trent Bridge set the tone for England’s emphatic victory in their 2025 home season opener, which they won by an innings and 45 runs inside three days.
The one-off Test, scheduled for four days, saw England dominate with a first-innings total of 565-6 declared, built on centuries from top-order batters Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, and Pope. The performance firmly quashed doubts surrounding Crawley and Pope, both of whom faced scrutiny ahead of the match due to the return of young talent Jacob Bethell from the IPL ahead of the upcoming five-Test series against India.
Stokes appeared to add to the speculation during a pre-match press conference when he praised Bethell, remarking, “I think you put two and two together and you probably know what’s going to happen.” However, the England skipper has since clarified that his comments were meant to suggest Bethell would rejoin the squad—not necessarily replace anyone in the starting XI.
“There’s always someone under the microscope,” Stokes told the BBC. “I felt it was being spun to fit a certain narrative. I was asked a simple question about Bethell, and what I said ended up fueling an agenda. I made it very clear to Popey the night before the match that his spot wasn’t in question. He’s my vice-captain, and he’s been brilliant at number three. I’m really proud of the way he played.”
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Bashir Shines in Breakthrough Performance
Young off-spinner Shoaib Bashir played a pivotal role in wrapping up the match, delivering a career-best 6-81 to seal the win. Despite a rocky start to his domestic season—he struggled to break into Somerset’s first team and managed only two expensive wickets during a short loan stint at Glamorgan—England’s selectors stuck with the 21-year-old, a decision that paid off handsomely.
Bashir’s match figures of nine wickets not only earned him Player of the Match honors but also made him the youngest England bowler to reach 50 Test wickets.
“It’s a strange story, and I understand why people might find it hard to believe,” Stokes said of Bashir’s rapid rise. “But the choices around selection, backing players—those are ours to make. If he keeps performing like this, people will eventually see why we have such faith in him.”
Fielding Flashbacks at Trent Bridge
Saturday’s play also saw a spectacular moment of fielding from Harry Brook, who took a stunning diving catch in the slips to dismiss Wesley Madhevere off Stokes’ bowling. The moment drew comparisons to Stokes’ own iconic one-handed catch at the same venue in 2015, during Stuart Broad’s legendary 8-15 spell in the Ashes.
Reflecting on the moment, Stokes said: “Broad told me after the game he had the same feeling back then. He thought the ball was racing for four, and then I took that catch. This time, I thought it was four—and Brook just pulled it off. It was an absolutely incredible catch.”
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