Stokes' return is going to be a bit of a circus, says coach Trevor Bayliss

Even before the ongoing Ashes has concluded, the talks about the ODI series that follows has taken the centrestage. A lot could be credited to the fact that the star English all-rounder, Ben Stokes, is set to make a comeback from that series. England recently announced their provisional squad for the ODI series. Head coach Trevor Bayliss looked very content with the team combinations.

As per the recent reports in Cricbuzz, Trevor Bayliss noted that the English side been doing well in the limited overs. They have a very settled top order with Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow at the top. And now, with Alex Hales back in the frame, the English team has the liberty to play around with their combinations a bit.

“We’ve been playing some good one-day cricket and Jonny Bairstow and Jason Roy at the top of the order have played well. I can’t see any changes there personally. The two openers we had did very well and it would be difficult to go against them,” quoted Trevor Bayliss.

“We could bring Hales back in and drop one of those guys down, but then it would upset someone else. We’ve got to take a decision now and I just think the best way to go is with the two guys who have taken over,” he added further.

Keeping World Cup in mind

Trevor Bayliss further stated that all these matches would help them in their preparations for the ICC World Cup 2019, which England would be hosting. He noted that this is a good opportunity for the younger lot like Craig Overton who can put their hands up for the mega event by performing consistently in the coming fixtures.

“History will tell you that the winners of the World Cup have come from the top two ranked teams. We want to play well and get ourselves high up that order as we possibly can. At the same time, we’re still two years away and there might be some younger players, like Craig Overton for example, who comes into the team and does well,” cited Bayliss.

On resting Joe Root

All big teams are resting their big players for a series or two to keep them fresh. England could be no exception in the case. Speaking about their star player Joe Root, Trevor Bayliss hoped that he carries himself well down under. Following the Australia tour, the team will consider giving him some rest.

“We’ll keep a check on players such as Joe Root and Moeen Ali in this Test series and the one-dayers. Hopefully, if all goes to plan, they’ll play these five Test matches and the five one-dayers as well and then we’ll look at giving them a break,” remarked the English coach.

On Ben Stokes’ return

Speaking about the English all-rounder Ben Stokes, who is set to make an international comeback, Trevor Bayliss noted that his issue has already been discussed by the team. He admitted that there would be some hiccups in his return and there is nothing much that they can do about it.

“That’s been discussed – but whenever he comes back it’s going to be a bit of a circus for sure. Whether it’s any more of a circus than it’s already been, it’s hard to say. If it happens, let’s just get on with it and take it on the chin,” concluded the English coach.