Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
LEADER, LEGEND BEN STOKES
Brilliant captain... now coach is key, says Farbrace
BEN STOKES will “grab the England team by the scruff of the neck” and turn it into a mean, winning machine again.
But he can only do so if the new coach removes all the off-the-field workload from the all-rounder’s broad shoulders, according to Paul Farbrace.
South African Gary Kirsten, who is currently in charge of IPL side Gujarat Titans, is firm favourite to be enlisted as coach having been approached by managing director Rob Key (below) for the task.
But Farbrace feels whether it is Kirsten or someone else who fills the role, the No.1 priority is to allow Stokes to focus fully on his new challenge as captain.
Former England assistant coach Farbrace insisted: “It’s a brilliant appointment. Ben has an excellent cricket brain and all the credentials to do the job.
“A lot of England captains who get appointed haven’t done a lot of captaincy because they quickly go out of county cricket into the England side.
“It was the same with Alastair Cook, Joe Root and many others.
“What Ben is good at is being a voice in the dressing room.
“He is someone who when he speaks people listen. He has got good authority in there, which is a really good sign.
“There’s been a lot of tough stuff going on around the
England team.
“It’s been a
tough winter, and Ben is absolutely the right person to grab it by the scruff of the neck and drive it forward.
“Rob Key now needs to ensure the coach he chooses is shrewd enough to let Ben run with the team on the field – but take the pressure off him off it.
“The key with an all-rounder is you don’t want them focusing on everything else that goes with the game off the field that it takes away from their game with bat and ball on it.
“Ultimately, you are in the team because of the runs and wickets you score, not because you are captain. That is the important balance you have to get right.
“Your captain is only as good as the team you have, and Ben will bring a freshness with new thoughts on matters.
“He is a natural leader who people will follow.
“It’s crucial in cricket to have the right combination of captain and coach. It isn’t something for him to choose but he can certainly have an input.
“Once Rob decides on a shortlist of the people he thinks are the right ones who can do a job for England, then he must look at the relationship between captain and coach.
“The coach has to be a strong leader themselves, but someone who is wise enough to realise when it comes to the dressing room that’s where Ben does his leading – then, on to the field from there.”