England National Cricket Team red ball captain Ben Stokes is unlikely to bowl in the upcoming five-match Test series against the Indian National Cricket Team away from home.
England are set to tour India next month for a red-ball series. The Three Lions will take on the Indian National Cricket Team in a high-profile five-match Test series, starting on January 25. The major Test series venues are Hyderabad, Vizag, Rajkot, Ranchi and Dharamsala.
On Monday, December 11, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced a 16-strong squad for the Test series against India. Three uncapped players (Shoaib Bashir, Tom Hartley and Gus Atkinson) were included in the team led by Ben Stokes.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Ben Foakes was recalled after being dropped for the 2023 Ashes at home and along with him, Jack Leach and Ollie Pope returned to the Test team after recovering from their respective injuries.
We never had him up for bowling in India: Rob Key on Ben Stokes
England director of cricket Rob Key has spoken about whether Ben Stokes will bowl in the Test series against India and said that they never planned for the red-ball captain to spin his arm in the India series.
“We never had him willing to bowl in India,” Key said, as quoted by ESPNCricinfo.
Notably, Ben Stokes recently underwent knee surgery and began rehabilitation. He underwent surgery by knee specialist Dr Andy Williams at the private Cromwell Hospital in south-west London.
Talking about England’s Test squad for the India series, one of the biggest surprises was the inclusion of 20-year-old spinner Shoaib Bashir, who has picked just 10 wickets in his first-class career.
Rob Key spoke about the selection of the inexperienced spinner and said his natural attribute of a high release point encouraged the selectors to pick him in the team overlooking his statistics.
“I think we focus more on the style of cricket we want to play and what we think is going to win,” Key said. “It’s about ‘what are someone’s advantages?’ It is very difficult, especially for English cricketers, to judge them by their numbers as such. You won’t expect your spinner to average 24 with the ball in county cricket, you’re trying to see something else and back his character.
“You want to see the ball come out of their hands – you go more to the art of selection than the science of selection – and support that environment that Stokes and McCullum have created with all the other players, to bring out the best in these people. With Stokesy’s captaincy in particular, the bet is often made that he will be the one who can get something out of these players. You just want to create an environment where you think they can thrive, which is no easy task when you are talking about a Test tour of India.”
England Test Team: Rehan Ahmed, James Anderson, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ben Foakes, Tom Hartley, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Ben Stokes (captain) ), marks wood