Ben Stokes’s England face Zimbabwe on Thursday at the start of a defining year of Test cricket with sterner challenges on the horizon against India and Australia.
The four-day match at Trent Bridge will be followed by a five-Test series against India starting in July before England attempt to wrestle the Ashes from Australia later this year.
AFP Sport looks at three of the key issues facing England’s red-ball side:
The England skipper is making a determined attempt to resume his Test career as a fully fledged all-rounder, even abstaining from alcohol to return to peak fitness.
Stokes is due to make his Test return against Zimbabwe, ranked 10th globally, having been sidelined since December after…