A DIVINE LEADER Farby backs star Stokes
Leach: My turn
by RICHARD EDWARDS
JACK LEACH has spent most of his Test career in England as a drinks carrier.
But after a tough winter in Australia and the Caribbean, he’s hoping to raise a glass to home comforts.
The Somerset man last played a Test on English soil in September 2019, helping to spin England to their most recent victory over the Aussies at the Oval.
“I’ve played a lot more away but as a spinner, I feel like I’m excited to bowl in England,” he said.
“It’s where I’ve played all my cricket.
“Most bowlers are better when they’re bowling on home pitches. I love bowling with the English Dukes ball – it reacts nicely out of the surface.”
CAPTAIN 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-field workload from the all-rounder’s broad shoulders.
Stokes, 30, has been backed to drag the Test side out of the doldrums this summer after succeeding Joe Root as captain.
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 Rob
Key for the task.
Managing director
Key is keen to get Kirsten, 54, on board with England’s opening Test against New Zealand at Lord’s only just over four weeks away.
But Paul 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 on the field.
Former assistant coach Farbrace (above) said: “It’s a brilliant appointment.
“Ben has an excellent cricket brain and all the credentials to do the job.
“Like a lot of England captains who get appointed they haven’t done a lot of captaincy because they quickly go out of county cricket into
BEN
MIKE was left stranded on 99 as his thrilling counterattacking innings failed to save Leicestershire from defeat in three days at the hands of hosts Middlesex. Harry Brook fell narrowly short of a maiden career double century as Yorkshire edged towards victory against Kent. And Somerset defeated Warwickshire by an innings and
82 runs.
GARY FITZGERALD
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.
“What Rob Key now needs to do is 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 so that it takes away from their game with bat and ball on it.
“It’s crucial in cricket to have the right combination of captain and coach, especially when you have a genuine all-rounder as captain.”
Meanwhile, James Anderson would relish the chance to help England “get back to winning Test matches” under new skipper Stokes.
The Burnley express, 39, was left out of England’s West Indies tour in March, alongside fellow veteran pace star Stuart Broad.
“Stuart and I were hoping our careers weren’t over, so it’s nice to hear there’s a chance,” he said.