Root hopeful Stokes return will be required catalyst
Joe Root is aware that England’s recent overseas record is decidedly average but is hopeful the presence of Ben Stokes in his team for the upcoming two-Test series against New Zealand can make all the difference.
England’s Test winter has been a bleak one so far, the 4-0 Ashes series defeat in Australia pockmarked by the distraction of Stokes’ absence thanks to the late-night incident in Bristol back in September that saw him suspended by the England & Wales Cricket Board.
New Zealand, perhaps the least high-profile tour of the lot, is the perfect setting for Stokes to return to
Test cricket after his recent off-field troubles.
A court date on a charge of affray still awaits the all-rounder in August, but his presence in the team here has given England a much-needed boost after their Ashes mauling.
It’s debatable whether Stokes would have made much difference to the ultimate result in Australia.
But the absence of their vice-captain certainly didn’t help matters.
Stokes has been replaced as Root’s deputy for this tour by James Anderson, who also did the job during the Ashes.
The good news for England, though, is that it appears Stokes is over the back injury he sustained in the recent one-day series against New Zealand and, after coming through a net session at Eden Park today, is ready to play a full part when the opening day-night Test starts on Thursday.
“He’s been an instrumental part of our team for a while, hasn’t he?” Root said of Stokes. “You get three players with Ben and certainly on his day probably the best three players within the side all in one. It is a huge boost to have him coming back into the team. It gives us a really good balance.
“He pulled through really well from his net session yesterday and hopefully that can progress over the next couple of days and we can see him being able to do all three facets of the game in this First Test.
“It is great to see him back playing and I’m sure he’s desperate to get back out in the whites and get everyone talking about his cricket again.”
Despite the impending court case, Root insists Stokes has not been affected by the stress of his current situation.
He said: “Yes. He’s been quite relaxed. He is such a good character around the dressing-room. When he speaks about the game, he gets everyone’s attention and people listen. It’s great to have him back in and around things and hopefully it can be a really good series for him to get him back into things going into another big summer.
“He’s very focused on what he needs to do. Credit to him, he’s been able to manage that really well.”
This will be Stokes’ first Test for six months, since England beat West Indies at Lord’s in September.
“It’s been a while since he’s had the chance to play red-ball cricket,” said Root. “He’s just so excited. It is really good to see players with that attitude, so desperate to come back in and prove a point and do well.”
His presence, after the low of the Ashes, will also lift others in the England dressing-room over the coming two Tests here.
“I suppose that is the natural leader in Ben, in that he can drag people with him,” said Root. “Because Ben wasn’t there through a tough series it is easy to say that players weren’t what they can be, but whether that coincided with him being there or not who knows?
“I think it is certainly a big addition to our dressing room having him back and if he can drag players along with him then brilliant.” Stokes is only one demerit point away from a ban after run-ins during England’s tours of Bangladesh and India last winter.
One more transgression will see him miss a Test. And Root is aware Stokes has a fine line to tread over the course of this series.
“You’re always aware of that,” he said. “He’ll have to be on best behaviour.”
This series offers Root a chance to start his second year in the job – he was appointed Alastair Cook’s successor in February of last year – on a winning note after a first 12 months that saw home series wins against South Africa and West Indies overshadowed by the Ashes.
England have also won just one away series – in South Africa three winters ago – since 2012.
“I think it has been a year of ups and downs, really,” said Root. “I thought throughout the summer we played some really good cricket. “It has been a tough winter until now but we have two Test matches to put a different stamp on this winter and change our momentum going into the summer.
“It is a big series for us coming from a big defeat like the Ashes so we need to make sure we put that right and come away with some success overseas because it’s not happened for a while. I think it is a good opportunity for us to try to turn the corner in that respect and make sure we change our recent history outside England.”