Morgan: Brilliant Ben has inspired whole team
BEN STOKES has been hailed for returning to his instinctive best and inspiring England.
His remarkable one-handed catch at the Oval in the opening match of the World Cup was the embodiment of the outrageous levels of skill that he possesses.
But that brilliance in the win over South Africa also revealed the freedom of spirit that makes him such a dangerous player.
A freedom that had been understandably absent in the aftermath of the late-night Bristol incident as he tried to make amends and perform with responsibility on his return.
That responsibility is clearly still there, but the hard work he has put in to his training has paid off, and captain Eoin Morgan reckons he is an inspiration for fans and team-mates alike.
England face Pakistan at Trent Bridge today in their second match, and Morgan said: “Ben has been unbelievable since the Bristol incident. His work ethic, mentality around the changing room and performance all led to what happened the other day.
“Being himself, imposing himself on the game.
“When his confidence is high, it rubs off on other guys.”
Mirror Sport columnist Stokes admitted pre-tournament that his hope was to affect the key parts of the game, whether it was with bat, ball or in the field.
Not even he could have predicted that he would do it quite so spectacularly in all three departments in the opening game to put England on a high as they get ready to face Pakistan.
“Everyone from five years old to 75 who watched the game the other day can relate to having one of those days where you do nothing wrong,” said Morgan. “For the sport, it is awesome.”
Pakistan were roughed up by the West Indies pace attack in a thrashing on Friday, and England could unleash Mark Wood alongside speed merchant Jofra Archer. Morgan said: “There is a chance Mark plays. The thought of them both playing is exciting.”
Roy, Bairstow, Root, Morgan (c), Stokes, Buttler (wk), Moeen, Woakes, Rashid, Archer, Wood Imam, Fakhar, Babar, Haris, Sarfaraz (c, wk), Imad, Shadab, Hasan, Hasnain, Wahab, Amir
Sky Sports from 10am