Manchester 29 August : Former England captain Nasser Hussain has referred to Ben Stokes as one of the most “technically skilled” batters in the team, stating that it was only going to be an issue of some time before the fans could see Ben Stokes at his very top with bat and ball during the season.When Stokes as captain has guided his team to five victories in Tests out of six in the summer -and with the most recent one being an innings and 85-run win against South Africa at Old Trafford — as an athlete he played a crucial role in a match against the Proteas by scoring an unbeaten century as well as taking four wickets in all.
“It was only the matter of the time until we could see Ben Stokes at his absolute best with bat and ball this summer , and the moment arrived in the second test (at Old Trafford).Sure, Stokes wanted to set the tone as captain following his appointment and to show he did not expect his players to perform anything he could not perform himself.Then, Ben the cricketer was required to step in and so did Ben the captain.” wrote Hussain in his column in the Daily Mail.
“Ben Stokes, the cricketer, is an extremely proud man who strives to be at his highest.He wouldn’t have been content with his 20s and 30s or occasional wickets, so he took on the role to help his team when they needed him the most to beat South Africa.”
Hussain believed that as Stokes arrived in to bat, England were not really in need of help, but the all-rounder gave England the winning edge, guiding England to 320/6 with his century.England finally declared at 415/9 and then sacked South Africa for 179 for an innings and an 85-run win.
“Stokes is the person to call for any crisis, and although this was not the situation at the time he took to the bat, England were still lagging behind South Africa and had work to complete.The ball was turning and England required a match-defining performance from their captain , and Stokes was able to deliver it with his pace right.
“Stokes is always one of the most technically skilled batters in the England team.What we witnessed from Stokes and England at Old Trafford was not Bazball.I don’t like that word.England require a positive attitude and attitude to all they do.They will be attacking for the majority of the time, but there are times when they need to relax in and relax,” opined Hussain.
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