“You almost feel like you’ve lost a lot, and the world’s just moved on – everyone’s moved on. And it’s tough to deal with.”

In the year that he made his England Test debut as a 20-year-old leg-spinner, Mason Crane should not feel forgotten. But the brutality of professional sport can do that. And so, after a year marred by persistent injuries, Crane could only look on from afar during England’s series of Sri Lanka. England’s three spinners were underpinning a whitewash; Crane was just waiting to be able to bowl in the nets again, and leave his back injuries behind.

“In January, I’m probably looking at it and I’m thinking this is going to be a really good year for me, and hopefully if I perform well, the sky’s the limit,” Crane reflects. Then came two back fractures – the first prevented him from touring New Zealand with the Test team; the second ended his summer after, with the aid of injections, Crane helped Hampshire win the Royal London Cup final in June.

“I was really starting to feel like I was back and ready to attack, and attack the red-ball game as well and try and get back to where I was. But, then, obviously, another injury, and not done very much that last five months. So, that’s the up and down of sport, isn’t it.”