‘Ben Stokes could become one of the best all-rounders’
The game is all about timing but this does not apply solely to an exquisite, effortless cover drive. Good timing has an impact on the reputations of captains as well. There are some fortunate enough to hold the reins when a charismatic cricketing all-rounder begins to blossom.
Mike Brearley would acknowledge he was blessed to have a young, extremely hungry Ian Botham in his ranks. In the late 70s Botham could swing the ball prodigiously at pace and, both on and off the field, he recognised no boundaries.
Even better, there was soon a bond between this pair, who revelled in their contrasting characters. They remained good mates throughout their careers and beyond.
Michael Vaughan’s two great years as England captain coincided with the relatively brief period, ending in 2005, when Andrew Flintoff was the most potent all-rounder in the world and his body was strong, his will indomitable. Now we can legitimately muse about the good fortune of Alastair Cook, who has a fast-maturing Ben Stokes in his side.
Trevor Bayliss is not a bad witness here – the England coach is as fond of hyperbole as the majority of the European parliament is of Nigel Farage. After the 25-year-old’s barnstorming performance in the first Test against Bangladesh in Chittagong, Bayliss was asked how good Stokes can be and by his standards he gushed.
“How long’s a piece of string?” Bayliss said. “He’s only young in his career. It’s going to be easier to judge the longer he goes. The potential of the guy - he could be right up there with some of the all-time best all-rounders. The strides he’s made here on the subcontinent playing spin have been top class.
“It wasn’t all that long ago we were wondering how he might go on spin-friendly pitches but he’s a guy that works extremely hard in the nets. I think it’s his defence against spin that has improved out of sight. In the past he probably hasn’t had a lot of footwork, playing from the crease and backing his eyes and hands. But as we saw in the one-dayers and the Test he defended really well off the front foot - he got right forward and smothered the ball before it had a chance to spin and jump past the outside edge.”
The Durham player did not bowl too badly, either. He is the master of reverse swing in this pack of seamers (given Jimmy Anderson’s absence) and his pace was surprising. His overall figures in Chittagong, six for 46, were remarkable but no fluke.
Bayliss reiterated the plan to rotate his fast bowlers on this expedition. He was asked whether Stokes, who is after all part of the pace department, would play all seven Tests this winter. “It would be a brave man to bet against it with Stokesy. I’m not sure we’re game enough to drop him out anyway – we might get a thump in the head. He’s a resilient person, let alone cricketer. We’ve got to watch what he does between the Tests to make sure he’s available for all the matches.”
England will shuffle their pack for the second Test in Dhaka. After the first Test, Cook suggested there would be a couple of changes. Bayliss confirmed that notion and added those changes were likely to occur among the bowlers. “The top four guys found it very difficult against the new ball facing the spin - it was an upside down sort of Test match,” he said. “But I don’t think there’s any reason to change.”
Among the bowlers there is the expectation Stuart Broad will be rested, which means his 100th Test is likely to be the series opener against India in Rajkot. Steven Finn has been impressing in the nets, according to the England captain and others, and would therefore be the likeliest replacement for Broad assuming England stick to the balance of attack they used in Chittagong.
Bayliss can be engagingly blunt but when discussing the performances of England’s spinners in Chittagong he was unusually cagey - and protective. “I think we did pretty well,” he said. “There’s still some work to be done and we’ve spoken about our consistency of length more than anything. They are good players of spin and you do not have to be too far off and they take full toll.”
There is the possibility of Zafar Ansari coming into the side in Dhaka for either Gareth Batty or Adil Rashid. Batty is dispensable in the sense England will surely not agonise too much about the psychological effects of dropping him. He is too gnarled for that to be a worry, while Rashid is younger, with the possibility of a long future ahead, and more fragile.
There is also a cricketing issue to consider that can only be debated after perusing the pitch in Dhaka. If England spy another big turner like Chittagong, the virtues of Rashid are not so attractive. When finger spinners, who should be more accurate since it is an easier craft, are capable of extracting sharp turn why bother with the luxury of wrist spin?
So the flatter the surface, the stronger the argument to retain Rashid. There is also a case for juggling the batsmen as well - when will there be a better chance to give those on the sidelines in Chittagong an outing? - but that is unlikely to happen.
Source: The Guardian
