‘Calming influence that Ben Foakes has in this group is massive’ - Steve Harmison names Ben Stokes’ replacement as next potential England skipper

Legendary cricketer Steve Harmison is currently worried about England Test skipper Ben Stokes’ fitness, especially with The Ashes being just around the corner. The all-rounder recently suffered a knee injury in the two-match Test series against New Zealand and he is unable to render his services with the ball for his IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings due to the same.

When it comes to The Ashes, England will have a tight schedule as the Three Lions will play five Test matches in 46 days and thus, Harmison is worried that Stokes’ knee injury might jeopardize his chances of participating in the Ashes and England might need a new leader in the middle.

Speaking about the same, Harmison revealed that stumper-batter Ben Foakes can be Stokes’ perfect replacement as leader of the group. He also opined that Ollie Pope is young and bats at an important position, thus he shouldn’t be burdened with the leadership role.

“You've got to be realistic. At some point this summer, Ben Stokes' knee could completely pack up on him. We've seen it in New Zealand, we don't know how it's going to go in the IPL and if that does (happen) then Rob Key and Brendon McCullum have got a decision to make. Do you go with somebody completely untried and untested in Ollie Pope?

“A young man, batting at number three which is a difficult place to bat. Do they go back to Joe Root cap in hand and say 'can you just get us to the end of the summer when Ben's fit? Another [option] if something happened to Ben Stokes and possibly the safest pair of hands would be Ben Foakes. I know we're talking about whether he plays in the side or not, but the calming influence that Ben Foakes has in this group is massive,” said Harmison while talking to TalkSport.

With Bairstow’s presence, can Foakes find a place in the playing XI?

With Jonny Bairstow available for selection, Ben Foakes’ position in the playing XI looks uncertain for the upcoming Ashes. However, the stumper-batter is currently not worried about all these things and believes that it is a distraction that he doesn’t need at the moment.

“Essentially there's just no benefit from me concerning myself with that. I think the easiest way I've found to deal with it is not dealing with it – just not worrying about it.

"It's a distraction you don't need, it can muddle your thinking if you think 'this might happen, so I've got to do this or I've got to do extra'. It takes you away from what you do well and just makes your job more difficult. I'm happy with the way things have gone for me so it is a bit unique to be asked about (my place),” Foakes was quoted as saying by The Mirror.