Stokes not about to pull his punches
Brown targets boss Bennett’s Broncos
BEN STOKES will remain true to type and not take a backward step on the field despite the new responsibility of being appointed Joe Root’s vice-captain.
Unlike the near universal approval for the promotion of Root to the main job, the decision to make Stokes his deputy raised some eyebrows, with respected voices concerned it might dilute the fire he brings to the Test side.
However, true to form, Stokes took aim at such fears yesterday and smashed them straight into the stands, reassuringly insisting that stripes on his shoulder will not dim the flames or turn him into a shrinking violet.
“Everything I do is to win and being vice-captain won’t change me as a person or as a player,” said Stokes. “I want to be involved in all aspects of the game, whether it’s hitting the winning runs or taking the final wicket.
“I have always wanted to be in the middle of it.”
Stokes is the archetype of a three-dimensional modern cricketer and is rarely away from the spotlight.
He remains one of the most exciting talents to have played REPORTS for England in recent times yet the oft-used adjective ‘fiery’ is also well earned.
At 25 he has a history littered with run-ins, mostly with other players but occasionally authority and that high-octane style on the pitch has been mirrored off it at times.
Perhaps the most obvious example came in 2013 when he was sent home from a Lions tour of Australia by coach Andy Flower for persistently flouting late-night curfews.
But the following year he missed a World T20 tournament after breaking a bone in his wrist punching a locker in Barbados following a first-ball duck in a Twenty20 game.
Back in the Caribbean in 2015 he also had some dustups with West Indies batsman Marlon Samuels, who gave him a military-style send off.
And last winter he was involved in spats with Bangladesh batsmen Tamim Iqbal and Sabbir Rahman, then sailed close to disciplinary sanction when using abusive language and gestures towards India captain Virat Kohli in the third Test in Mohali.
ECB director of cricket Andrew Strauss and head coach Trevor Bayliss are keen for Stokes to use his irrepressible energy positively and feel that Root will be able to ensure that happens.
Stokes was understandably full of praise for his new captain and gave an insight into the ❑ STEVE FINN has been called up as a replacement for David Willey on the forthcoming ODI tour of the West Indies after the latter was ruled out with a shoulder injury.
Willey was forced to have surgery on a shoulder tendon injury sustained on white-ball duty for England in India last month and will be out of action until April.
The 14-man England squad fly out to the Caribbean next Wednesday for two warm-up matches followed by three ODI games in Antigua and Barbados. direction in which the pair have been asked to take the side.
“We have the same direction of where we want to take the team,” he said. “Every team goes through transition but I hope we can be influential in taking this team forward. Cooky started us on that path, Rooty was part of it and now we can carry that on.
“Test cricket is the pinnacle and we need people to fall in love with it again. We need to win but we want to perform in a manner that makes people want to come and watch us.”
Both were interviewed for the main job, but Stokes is more than happy to be second in command.
“He is a colleague but he is also a close mate and I was chuffed to bits for him,” Stokes said. “I always believed that Rooty was going to be captain – he is the right person and the best person to do it.
“Getting the news that I was going to be his vice-captain made me ecstatic – it is a real honour.
“It is supporting Rooty but it is also the recognition from him and the people at the top of the ECB. It has been a good couple of years for me since getting back into the team. Everything has gone up and up.” ENGLAND stand-off Kevin Brown is poised to make his Warrington debut against England boss Wayne Bennett’s Brisbane Broncos in Saturday’s World Club Series.
The former Widnes captain, right, missed the club’s pre-season friendlies and last Saturday’s opening Super League defeat at Catalan Dragons with a hamstring injury but he is set to face the Broncos at the Halliwell Jones Stadium. “We will more than likely give him a crack,” said Warrington coach Tony Smith. “We could do with him at the moment. We want to get him into the way of things and get our campaign going.” Warrington, though, will be without centre Toby King, who pulled a hamstring against the Dragons, while Dom Crosby faces further concussion tests. But forward Ben Westwood is available after a pectoral injury.