JUST SKIP IT, STOKES
Sills has Dun himself proud England captaincy will be too big for Ben says KP
CONNOR SILLS has realised his childhood dream after signing for top-flight Dundee.
The Canadian forward, who will join the Stars next season, said: “Since I was a kid I wanted to play hockey professionally.”
Sills has spent four years playing for the University of Ottawa but will make his pro debut this year.
Stars boss Omar Pacha believes he can be the missing spark in his squad.
Pacha said: “He can add that presence. His gritty size and aggressiveness is something we’ve lacked.
“He can play anywhere so his versatility will be important I believe.”
Sills, 25, added: “I have been persistent and worked hard and have been lucky to play with some great teammates and great coaches that have pushed me.
“Omar showed lots of interest in me as a player and as a person.
“He had a lot of confidence in my play so I think Dundee will definitely be a great opportunity for myself.”
KEVIN PIETERSEN believes Ben Stokes doesn’t need the extra burden of the England Test captaincy against the West Indies.
Joe Root’s wife is due to give birth in July, putting the skipper at risk of missing one of the three behind-closed-doors Tests with the Windies next month. Root has backed vice-captain Stokes to step up in his potential absence but former England star Pietersen is wary about the star all-rounder assuming even more responsibility.
Citing how he struggled balancing batting and captaincy in his own shortlived stint as skipper, Pietersen wants Jos Buttler to lead instead of heaping added pressure on Stokes. The TV and radio pundit said: “Do I want to see Ben Stokes change from who he is and the player he is? “Probably not, Buttler would be my guy. “The entertainers and the guys that have to carry the mantle in the team sometimes aren’t the best captains and can struggle with the added pressure. “As a player you are looked at completely differently until that phone call comes and you are announced as the Test captain.
“Responsibilities change, communication changes, the way in which you carry yourself in the dressing room changes.
“I struggled with it, I absolutely hated it and I was rubbish.
“You have to change and I couldn’t command the respect of the dressing room. You say something and it is frowned upon, it is a completely different story when you are captain.”
England are scheduled to begin their summer of cricket, which has been seriously affected by the coronavirus pandemic, on July 8 at Hampshire’s Ageas Bowl.
Further matches against Pakistan, Ireland and Australia are all pencilled in but they are all likely to be played in front of empty stadiums.
And England’s all-time leading runscorer across all formats says that will present Root and his men with a very different challenge.
“I would rather be in the broadcaster’s chair than in the player’s chair because entertainers like atmosphere,” Pietersen told TALKSPORT.
“And you are going to have to build your own atmosphere and dig as deep as you can to try your best and perform in front of a whisper,
“It is going to be hard, especially for cricket.
“Six hours, when you’re in the field and guys are batting and you’re 100 overs into an innings, England are going to have to dig deep because it is going to feel like a warm-up game with absolutely no one watching what’s happening.”