Mumbai, Oct 21: In Mumbai, former England captain Michael Atherton has emphasized the importance of Ben Stokes returning to the field for England’s crucial match against South Africa at the Wankhede Stadium this Saturday, provided he is fit. Stokes, who also serves as England’s Test captain, came out of ODI retirement to assist in England’s defense of their Men’s ODI World Cup title, which they secured in 2019 on their home soil. However, his absence due to a hip injury, coupled with England’s inconsistent performance in the tournament, including a win over Bangladesh but losses to New Zealand and Afghanistan, has raised concerns about their chances of making it to the semi-finals.
Atherton stated, “Our understanding was that Stokes was very close to fitness for the Afghanistan game, but England opted to exercise caution. Now, if he is fit, he must take the field against South Africa.” While Atherton acknowledges that Stokes cannot single-handedly rescue the team, he underlines the substantial impact Stokes brings to the squad, making England notably stronger when he is part of the lineup. Atherton highlighted Stokes’ recent extraordinary performance in ODI cricket, notably scoring a record-breaking 182 against New Zealand at The Kia Oval just last month.
The adjustment of bringing Stokes into the team means that Harry Brook, who scored an impressive 66 off 61 balls in England’s unexpected loss to Afghanistan, would be the one to make way. This change raises concerns about England’s bowling options, given that Stokes primarily plays as a specialist batter in this tournament. Atherton remarked, “I firmly believe that Harry Brook should also be included in the playing XI. The challenge for England lies in achieving the right balance in the team. They must decide whether to include Liam Livingstone at No. 7 as one of the five bowlers, with Joe Root serving as the sixth bowler, or to opt for two specialist bowlers alongside Reece Topley, Adil Rashid, and Mark Wood.”
In addition to the selection dilemmas, England is grappling with subpar performances from all-rounders Chris Woakes and Sam Curran, which further exacerbate their concerns. Woakes conceded 41 runs in his four overs during the Afghanistan match, while Curran was expensive, giving away 46 runs in his four overs in the same game in New Delhi. Atherton concluded, “The form of Chris Woakes and Sam Curran is a genuine cause for concern. Both players appear vulnerable at the moment. Curran’s economy rate is over eight runs per over, and Woakes is conceding seven and a half runs per over, with only a few wickets to their name. Curran has been costly in the middle overs, and Woakes has struggled in the powerplay, leaving England playing catch-up in their matches.”