England Captain: With The Ashes just around the corner, legendary cricketer Steve Harmison is particularly concerned about England Test captain Ben Stokes’ fitness. The all-rounder recently injured his knee during the two-match Test series against New Zealand, and as a result, he is unable to serve as a ball carrier for his IPL team, Chennai Super Kings.
Although the Three Lions will play five Test matches in 46 days, England will have a busy schedule leading up to The Ashes. Harmison is concerned that Stokes’ knee injury may compromise his chances of competing in the Ashes and that England may require a new middle-order skipper.
Speaking of the same, Harmison disclosed that Stokes’ replacement as group leader may be the stumper-batter Ben Foakes. He added that Ollie Pope should not be given leadership responsibilities because he is a young player and bats in a crucial position.
“You must maintain reality. Ben Stokes’ knee could give out entirely at some point this summer. We’ve seen it in New Zealand; we’re unsure of how it will play out in the IPL, but if it does, Rob Key and Brendon McCullum will need to make a choice. Do you trust Ollie Pope, who has never been tried or tested?
“A young man is batting third, which is a challenging position to bat. Do they return to Joe Root with a petition asking him to expedite Ben’s recovery until the end of the summer? Ben Foakes would be another choice and perhaps the safest set of hands if something occurred to Ben Stokes. I know we’re debating whether he plays in the side or not, but the calming influence that Ben Foakes has in this group is massive,” In an interview with TalkSport, Harmison stated.
Can Foakes find a spot in the starting Eleven with Bairstow there?
Ben Foakes’ spot in the starting lineup for the 2017 Ashes appears to be in doubt given that Jonny Bairstow is available for selection. The stumper-batter, though, isn’t currently concerned about all of these things and considers them to be distractions that he doesn’t need right now.
“In essence, I just have nothing to gain by worrying about that. I believe that simply not dealing with it—without even caring about it—is the best method I’ve found to handle it,” Foakes was quoted as saying by The Mirror.
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