Chennai Super Kings head coach Stephen Fleming revealed that bowling is still a bit of a Challenge for their star all-rounder Ben Stokes. The England red-ball skipper has played only two games for the four-time champions as he suffered an injury that kept him out for most of the season.
Ben Stokes’s injury status is a worrying factor for many cricketing fans across the world, with the all-important Ashes around the corner where Stokes is excepted to play an important part for England in Ashes 2023.
The Chennai-based outfit had spent a massive sum of Rs 16.25 crore to sign up the England Skipper and was expected to play a vital role for the MS Dhoni-led side, but could not live up to the expectation so far in the league.
Speaking to the media, after their loss against the Kolkata Knight Riders, Fleming disclosed that Ben Stokes is in the team as a batting cover, as his bowling at the moment is challenging, and said that Moeen Ali can be vital in Arun Jaitley Stadium, which can offer some assistance to spin.
“Ben’s ability to bowl overs at the moment is still a bit of a challenge, but he’s there as that batting cover, But with Moeen bowling well in good conditions – we go to Delhi [next] which has been turning – we think the balance of the side has been right,” Stephen Fleming said.
“And look, we’re second on the table, so it’s not our style to chop and change just because we’ve had a loss where things didn’t go our way. We won’t do that. We might tinker with it but we’re very focused on getting the right team for Delhi.”
Earlier during the New Zealand series Ben Stokes had struggled with his knee in the 2nd innings of the second test against New Zealand, the skipper just bowled 2 overs and had limped on his way to the dressing room.
Ben Stokes Will Be an Important Player For England In Ashes 2023
Ben Stokes has been a revelation for the nation since the 2019 World Cup for England and took over Test captaincy for Joe Root and also recently played a huge role in England’s T20 World Cup title win and is expected to play a pivotal role in Ashes.
IPL 2023 will end just four days before England’s first Test of the summer against Ireland at Lord’s (June 1) before the five-match Ashes series gets underway. There are currently seven other Test players who will play in IPL 2023 – Joe Root, Mark Wood, Jonny Bairstow, Liam Livingstone, Jofra Archer, Sam Curran, and Harry Brook.
With Ben Stokes taking over captaincy under Brendon McCullum’s coaching England is redefining test cricket with their approach and they will do well against Australia on the home soil.