The Ashes: Red tape has strangled our bowlers and left us playing catch up for years '“ Snow

Snow won 49 Test caps during an 11-year international career and is best remembered for his hostile, series-defining turn in the 1970-71 series Down Under.

Joe Root would doubtless love to call on a seamer with Snow’s skills after surrendering the urn after just three Tests, particularly with the Australian trio of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood leaving his own options in the slow lane.

It is not a new differential. For some time now English bowlers have mastered swing while their rivals have focused on the speed gun, but one that Snow believes is increasingly ingrained.

“Fast bowlers don’t grow on trees,” said the 76-year-old. “The wickets used to be better, they’ve got slower here in England for years and years. They’ve been messed about by directives rather than just focusing on producing good, true wickets.

“Fast bowling is about physical ability, physique, the mentality, the co-ordination. But you’ve got to want to learn how to bowl quick and for it all to slot into place. You’ve got to learn how to do it yourself, the coaches don’t bowl the damn thing, the bowler has to bowl it.”