England Selectors have discussed the idea of using their skipper Ben Stokes as the opener against their arch-rivals Australia in Ashes 2023. With the all-important Ashes to begin in a month, the plans and strategies behind closed doors have started with the England team might be tempted to use Stokes at the top of the order to accommodate the fourth pacer in the playing 11.
According to the reports in Times, England selectors have thrown the idea of using Ben Stokes at the top of the order to the England think-tank in the exciting series against Australia starting on June 16. The 31-year-old played as an opener in only one instance against West Indies in 2020 and it will be interesting to see whether England takes the gamble in the high-octane clash.
In IPL 2023, The England red-ball skipper has played only two games for the four-time champions as he suffered a chronic knee injury that kept him out for most of the season, which completely ruled him bowling in this edition of IPL.
Sharing his Views on the reports, Former Australian Cricket Allan Border feels that it would huge gamble by the England team management, as he doing exceptionally well in the lower down the order, winning the game for his side from crunch situations.
“Stokes is such a good player, I don’t know whether I’d be throwing him into that situation, Why expose him to the new ball when you don’t have to? He can win games from anywhere I suppose, but we saw in (2019) how dangerous he is down the order and with the tail,” Allan Border said on Fox Sports.
Former Australian all-rounder Brendon Julian too feels that it would be a crazy move by the England team to change the winning combination and disturb the balance of the team as the move would favour the Australian team.
“That’d be a crazy move, I wouldn’t be getting too involved in the way they’re playing. If they want to be aggressive and take it on, so be it,” he added.
If Ben Stokes is unavailable to take up the role of the fourth pacer in the team, England management might think of bringing in a pacer for the opener Zak Crawley, who has remained out of touch in recent times, with Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, and Jonny Bairstow forming a formidable middle order in the team.
Will Ben Stokes Inspire England To Win Ashes 2023?
Ben Stokes and Co. lost only one out of their 10 home Tests last year, including a 3-0 clean sweep of New Zealand and their form has been outstanding in the past 12 months, giving them the best chance of regaining it.
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.
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.
The England team was not at its usual best when they toured Australia where England was hammered by Australia by 4-0 and will to do well in their home soil this time. The most exciting Ashes this year is scheduled to begin on June 16, with the first Test to be played at Edgbaston in Birmingham.