I totally understand why Fluffy is a bit unsure whether to break out the champagne : as a long term England supporter it is hardly surprising he has developed the habit of eyeing any success with a wary glance to see what is about to Go Badly Wrong - sort of "We won ! OK - Where's the catch ?"
I've been following them a lot longer and can't claim to be immune to the same tendency to anxiety
But : I do think this summer's results should be cause for considerable satisfaction. While it is hardly uncommon for England teams to get carved up in Australia ; and tours of India - especially in recent years - have always been challenging ; the rather miserable 2021 home season being sandwiched between heavy losses in both countries and then followed by a pretty disappointing West Indies trip really had led to a sense that the team was at rock bottom. In truth there were some extenuating circumstances ( Covid issues , a virtual second choice team against NZ , etc) but the overall effect was deeply dispiriting - and it was fairly clear that the gloom felt by the public was also endemic in the playing group. Skipper Joe Root was looking like a dead man walking in after match interviews , despite his personal run making success ; bowlers were dropping like flies and the batting was generally a shambles...I guess the only way was up but it was hard to see how back in March.
Stokes as skipper was by no means universally hailed : I am pretty sure (haven't actually checked) there were those on here expressing doubts about his suitability. McCullum as coach was also seen as a risk (lack of experience ; questions re his approach to Tests) ; and as for the playing group - well where to start ? Openers - reasonable doubts (and to be fair these persist) ; Pope at three ?!? Bairstow at all ? And the Old Boys Club of Anderson and Broad - all had their doubters. But look what happened...
Doesn't mean all is perfect , of course. Home wins really haven't been unusual - with the exception of last year - and that hasn't often translated into overseas success. Whether it will this time remains to be seen. But the big change I see is the obviously confident and genuinely cheerful attitude in and around the team that I think is going to give them a far better chance of winning outside their own back yard. They're going to have a tough test in alien conditions in Pakistan in a few months : even if they don't win I reckon they'll be going into the matches with a far more positive approach than the limp resignation we saw in Australia just a few months ago. I can't say I am super confident they will be able to get a result there but I am certainly looking forward to seeing how they tackle the challenge : a few months ago I'd more likely have been dreading it !
And finally , if even Sussex says he's finding it hard to be negative we know something must be working well