Stokes faces last-minute fitness test

ENGLAND are sweating over the fitness of Ben Stokes as their talisman faces a late fitness test before today’s Champions Trophy opener against Bangladesh. Captain Eoin Morgan insists there will be no place for Jonny Bairstow, despite Jason Roy’s poor form, but all eyes will be on Stokes, who will arrive at the Oval ahead of his team-mates this morning to test out his troubled left knee. Morgan said he would be happy to play Stokes — who scored a century against South Africa at the Ageas Bowl at the weekend — as a batsman alone, but added that ‘you always look to him to bowl a minimum of five overs’. The medical staff have a plan to manage their star all-rounder’s workload, with England facing five games in 18 days if they reach the final. Asked about Stokes’s pre-game workout, Morgan replied: ‘We’ll see how it goes. It will be as much as he feels he needs. ‘For him, it’s confidence and getting through his delivery without any pain and being able to slam his foot down. It’s about

psychologically being at ease with that, and then just going straight into the game.’ Meanwhile, Morgan’s decision to back opening batsman Roy shows that England are desperate to stick with the core of an attacking team who have rebuilt their reputation and scored more than a run a ball since the debacle of the 2015 World Cup. ‘If we want our players to play cagey or without freedom, yes, we would change things and probably half of us wouldn’t be here,’ Morgan said. ‘Jason really epitomises the way we play. I cannot see the selection changing.’ Morgan’s resolve in ignoring the form of Bairstow, one of England’s best Test players of 2016, is based on his faith in England’s methods over the last two years. Since his side flopped at the World Cup, they have won 27 and tied one of their 42 completed games. The Champions Trophy is their chance to back up that formidable record on the global stage. ‘It’s about delivering in every game,’ Morgan said. ‘It been our focus now for the last couple of series that we have played in. The first cycle of our development in the first year we were together was about pushing the limits and seeing how far we could go. ‘The second year was about playing smart cricket, adapting to situations and taking advantage of that, and then the result will look after itself. Now it’s time to combine them. ‘This group of players has the potential to win tournaments. But converting that potential into substance can be a challenge. It is a challenge we are really embracing and looking forward to confronting.’