Ben Stokes absence leaves England in a selection soup

Ben Stokes, England’s premier all-rounder has been out of action since sustaining a knee injury at Headingley in the first Test between England and Sri Lanka. Since then, he has been on the road with the England team, playing the role of the occasional cheerleader apart from teaching people how to take selfies on their phones. However, while Stokes is away receiving treatment to his dodgy knee, Eoin Morgan, and the England side is in the middle of a massive selection conundrum.

Speaking at a pre-match press conference, Morgan stated that Stokes is a key member of the side, and it is indeed difficult to find a replacement for a player of his caliber. Morgan added that Moeen Ali would be the right player to step into that particular role.

“Ben leaves a huge hole,” Morgan said. “He is a key member of our side. It’d be the same thing if the likes of Moeen Ali went down. Having Moeen batting at possibly six or seven is a luxury when he’s a frontline spin bowler.

Morgan added that the 2019 World Cup was well in their sights. “We’re still at the beginning of building hopefully what will be a successful campaign in the 2019 World Cup. It’s important for us not only to stick with the same group of players in order to grow their experience but also to find some consistency in our performances.

“We’re 12 months down the road and we have built a lot of confidence. There’s a bit more expectation on us as a side and it’s important to relish that expectation. The Champions Trophy is this time next year and the World Cup is two years later so as the home side we’re looking to put in performances so that people don’t see us as outsiders.”

“We’re trying to change the mentality,” Morgan said. “The mentality was, that if you’re getting beaten around the park, you might try and bowl tight and move things around. But actually trying to get the batsman out is still a priority.

“It’s the same with the batting. If we’re three down and you get bowled a half-volley, you still have to hit it. It’s part and parcel of changing the mindset of the side.

“I went straight from the one-day series and played a lot of county cricket last summer and the way England played had set the agenda about the brand of aggressive cricket we were playing. Everybody seemed to relate to it. A lot of the younger guys were loving it. It is very important to connect with county cricket because we can sometimes become detached and that is not good for anybody.”

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