Geoffrey Boycott, the former England batsman has slammed England for rushing Ben Stokes into international cricket after his poor outing in the first Ashes Test in Brisbane. Geoffrey Boycott stated that Ben Stokes is not a magician, who can bat and bowl for everyone.
Contrary to expectations, Ben Stokes struggled across departments as Australia cantered to a nine-wicket win at the Gabba. The 30-year old managed 19 runs in the game and leaked 65 runs in 12 overs without wickets. He is also under the injury scanner due to a stiff hamstring he sustained while fielding.
Geoffrey Boycott: Ben Stokes Isn’t A Messiah As He Can’t Be Expected To Do Well Every Time With Bat And Ball
Geoffrey Boycott claimed that all-rounder Ben Stokes had hardly played any cricket before this vital series. He felt England overestimated his return, given he had to bat on a tricky pitch against world-class seamers.
“Ben Stokes needed to play more cricket. All the hype that he’s back and what he brings to the dressing room. He is not a messiah. He can’t bat and bowl for everyone. Ben hasn’t played for five months, had a finger operation and rain ruined his practice. Then his first knock was on a testing pitch against, in my view, the two best seam bowlers in the world – Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood.”
Geoffrey Boycott continued: “That would be tough for any batsman in good form. Too many players expected some magic from our talismanic all-rounder. His second innings dismissal showed his lack of cricket as he got in a tangle with a bit of bounce. In good nick, there is every chance he would have played it differently.”
England won the toss and managed only 147 in the first innings with the bat. In response, Australia took a 278-run lead. However, the visitors showed some fight in the second innings. Ultimately, new Australian Test skipper Pat Cummins-led Australia had the final say, leaving themselves with only 20 to chase in the fourth innings.
Ben Stokes’s lack of preparation in terms of recent game experience will be a concern for England in the Ashes, as feared by many fans and experts of the cricket fraternity. Ben Stokes took an indefinite break from cricket in July to focus on his mental health while also recovering from a second operation on a broken finger, and was a late addition to England’s squad for the tour of Australia.
The star all-rounder missed the New Zealand and India Test series in England, the second half of IPL 2021 at UAE, 2021 T20I World Cup to prioritize his mental wellbeing over cricket.
Geoffrey Boycott: England Was Playing Catch Up Cricket After Being Dismissed For A Paltry Total In The 1st Innings
Geoffrey Boycott further noted that England hardly stood a chance after a severely under-par total in the first innings. Pat Cummins ended with figures of 5/38 in 13.1 overs as Australia made a dream start to the Ashes series, bowling England out on a below-par 147 in the first innings. ‘
Travis Head then scored 152 in Australia’s 425. Opener David Warner was injured when hit in the ribs while making 94 in Australia’s first innings. England collapsed from 223-2 to 297 all out on day four as Australia lost a solitary wicket to reach the 20 run target without any major hiccups.
“Once Australia had bowled England out for a paltry total unless England could bowl them out for a similar score, then they were playing catch-up cricket which hardly ever brings success.”
The second Test, a day and night affair, begins on December 16 at the Adelaide Oval. Ben Stokes averages 36.61 in 72 Tests, where he amassed 4650 runs with 10 tons and has also taken 163 scalps averaging 31.78 with the ball in hand.