England risk unsettling Stokes again now Moeen’s back in town
All-rounder’s return for the Second Test means the tourists are facing juggling act. By Stephen Brenkley in Grenada
AS T HEY arrived on spice island, England were in a stew. This was only partly of their own making but they will do well to extricate themselves from it.
First, they have to decide what their preferred team is now that Moeen Ali is back in town. Second, they have to confront their hosts who are miffed at being virtually dismissed as lesser opponents and feel they have a point to prove.
The selection issue for the Second Test which begins here tomorrow hot on the heels of the drawn first, is the most immediate concern.
The other may havee as great an influence as the series unfolds.
Moeen has rejoined the squad after recovering from the side strain he sus-sustained in the World Cup.
England will feel they have to play him since he rapidly established himself as an integral part of the team after making his debut last summer. The player most likely to make way is the off-o spinner James Tredwell, who was England’s leading wicket taker in the open-pening match of the serieses in Antigu a last week but could not finish West Indies off in the second innings when he took only one wicket in 40 overs.
But that is only part of the issue. Moeen batted at No6 throughout last summer and acquitted himself well. His place in Antigua was taken by another all-rounder — of thee seam bowling rather than the off-spinning variety — Ben Stokes, who played two dashing innings of 79 and 35.
Asking Stokes (below) to move down the order would be to risk disturbing his equanimity. Stokes has an Ashes hundred at No6 and he has been messed around by England in all forms, being shunted up and down.
Moeen has done little wrong, of course, although he is brittle against the short ball and has been out occasionally in careless fashion. It is a minor but delicate decision which the team’s management need to deal with carefully. Perhaps they could placate Stokes by moving him to seven, with wicketkeeper Jos Buttler at eight, andan reminding him that in 11 981 when Sir Ian Botham, one of the greatest of all-rounders, flayed Australia and No7 was good enough for him. The other predicament perplexing the tourists may not be settled so easily. It concerns remarks made in a radio interview before the tour began by the incoming chairman of the ECB, Colin Graves. He said that he expected England to win the series because West Indies were going to have a mediocre team with many of their players away in the Indian Premier League.
“If we don’t win, I can tell you now there wwill be some enquiries of why we haven’t, Graves said. This has gone down badly in these parts and elementary research would have told Graves that
though somsome of the IPL players would be missed, West Indies had already started developing this team without them a year ago.
England are trying politely to distance themselves from Graves’s remarks. Graves himself is arriving in the Caribbean shortly and he will doubtless more fully explain what he meant.
Devon Smith, who will become the first Grenadian to play in a Test in Grenada, said: “We have no pressure now. England have the pressure because they are looking for the victory.
“They said in the press they would win three love, that’s the first one and we’re looking forward to the next two to come. It motivates me and the whole team to go out there and prove them wrong for whatever they said.”
In 1976, Tony Greig, the England captain of the time, said of the West Indies in an interview before that summer’s series when the 45-year-old Brian Close was rec alled: “I’m not really sure they’re as good as everyone thinks. These guys, if they get on top they are magnificent cricketers. But if they’re down, they grovel, and I intend, with the help of Closey and a few others, to make them grovel.”
It angered and inspired West Indies. By dint of fearsome pace and swashbuckling batting they won 3-0. In the final match at The Oval, Greig, walked over to the huge West Indies contingent in the crowd, got down on his knees and grovelled. West Indies will probably not win this time but Graves may have to do something similar in Barbados.