Former Australian captain Ian Chappell feels Ben Stokes the Test captain has plenty to learn from his match-winning performances in the T20 World Cup. (More Cricket News)
Stokes showed his big match prowess once again♍ with a fighting unbeaten half-century in the T20 World Cup final against Pakistan. His innings in the 2019 ODI World Cup final and the Ashes Test in the same year have become part of cric🃏keting folklore.
In his column for ESPNcricinfo, Chappell wrote wh🐼at Stokes the captain as well as the batter can learn from his recent T20 success.
"Stokes has an enviable record of performing at his best when the stakes are highest. He has done it in cruciꦯal Tests and one-day matches and now he has achieved that remarkable feat in T20 cricket. It's no woꦬnder England captain Jos Buttler demanded his presence in the World Cup squad.
"Typical Stokes - he was biding his time in the round-robin g🅠ames until it⭕ came to the must-win match against Sri Lanka," Chappell wrote.
Stokes was elevated to the Test captain job earlier this year at the expense of Jo📖e Root in the wake of England's prolonged poor run. The southpaw along with coach Brendon🦄 McCullum has managed to turn it around for the Test side in quick time.
"Having achieved wonders in his debut season as Test captain despite playing some reckless innings, this knock should convince Stokes that at times he needs to bat with a l﷽ittle more caution in the longer format. England need Stokes playing well and contributing his best when it matters most," the Australian stated.
"The fact that Buttler pushed for Stokes' presence in the T20 squad despite the allrounder's rare appearances in the format speaks highly of the captain's sh𒐪ort-form knowledge.
"Buttler displays much T20 expertise and the one-on-one sessions in which he talked with England players about their role further enhanced those leadership quaౠlities." Stokes has already retired from ODIs.
Chappell, however, feel🌌s England limited-overs skipper Jos Buttle꧑r doesn't deserve a place in the Test team. Buttler played his last Test during the Ashes earlier this year.
"Despite Buttler's T20 success, he is an enigma in Test cricket. He is a valuable T20 keeper in addition to being🐼 a match-winning batter, but on rec🌜ent form, there's no place for him in the Test side.
"He's not a Test keeper, and you can't play him as a🌳 batter because, in addition to bei♑ng unsure of himself, he's a dubious proposition when there are slips in place.
"Buttler's batting dilemma gives credence to what former Australian captain Mark Taylor believes - that the sho♔rt forms of the game, unlike the Test version, dictate how you play. This is particularly so in T20 cricket, where the game demands a sure-minded batter right from the off, which suits Buttler." Coming back to Stokes, Chappell feels he also needs to review the Test team's policy on spin. Both Moeen Ali and star leg-spinner Adil Rashid don't play Tests.
"The other major item on his agenda is spin 🐟bowling. England need to rethink their Test policy on spin and search for a bowler who can dismiss batters on good pitches. In short-form games, spin bowlers can lure batters into committing cricketing suicide, which is a valuable skill.
"However, that i൲s rarely viable in Tests and having a spinner play a hol💞ding role also has limited value in the longer game.
"Stokes is evolving as a captain and has also produced enough magical performances in the heat of ♑battle to be considered a miracle worker by his teammates.
"This is invaluable for a captain. Being a smart cricketer, Stokes can now advance his Te💎st leadership by shrewdly assessing those aspects of a successful T20 World Cup campaign that a𓆉ttracted his attention," Chappell added.
