The entertainers
Stokes gives England stars licence to thrill supporters yet again
BEN STOKES has told his England team to forget about being sportsmen and instead think of themselves as the great entertainers.
The England captain wants to follow last week’s incredible victory against New Zealand at Trent Bridge with a repeat performance in the final Test at Headingley today — including another stand-out individual display like Jonny Bairstow’s match-winning century.
‘I’ve said to the players: “Let’s try to think like we’re in the entertainment business rather than the sporting one”,’ said Stokes, who was back in training yesterday after missing Tuesday’s practice through illness.
‘We want to carry on doing what we’ve done over the last two Tests. You saw on the last day at Trent Bridge (when they chased 299 in 50 overs to win) exactly what we want to do. We just wanted to chase the runs down without thinking about the overs.
‘Myself and Jonny (Bairstow) just decided to put as much pressure back on New Zealand as possible and that’s what we’re going to do this week. I wouldn’t be surprised if you saw someone doing something similar to what Jonny did last week.’
England will hand a debut to 28-year-old Jamie Overton in place of the injured Jimmy Anderson in the only change from Trent Bridge as they chase what would be a remarkable 3-0 clean-sweep over the world Test champions.
Stokes loomed large at Headingley yesterday, both on the big screen — where highlights of his miracle demolition of Australia three years ago were being shown — and on the outfield as he promised more of the same today. How extraordinary to think that the 2019 Leeds game was almost eclipsed by what this new England team did last week. It will be intriguing, too, to discover where this journey leads.
Any suggestion of bowlers being rested before next week’s encounter with India were dispelled when England named their strongest possible side. Gone, quite clearly, is the rotation policy under Joe Root and Chris Silverwood.
Anderson has a ‘puffy ankle’, albeit he expects to be fit for Edgbaston, but the team does include a captain who will not let a trifling illness stop him.
‘I was just ill,’ said Stokes when asked about his absence on Tuesday. ‘But I’ve had two negative Covid tests and that’s why I’m standing here now.’
Happier to talk about the all-out attacking philosophy instilled by himself and new coach Brendon McCullum, he added: ‘There’s a reason why nearly 20,000 came to Trent Bridge to watch us on the last day. So I’ve set a challenge to the team to be even more fearless, positive and aggressive. If we keep doing good things on the field we will attract a new pool of fans to the game. That’s all we can do, it’s what we’re good at.’
Anything similar to the Trent Bridge classic against New Zealand, who welcome back skipper Kane Williamson after his Covid diagnosis, would be a welcome antidote to the Yorkshire racism scandal which almost cost Headingley the chance to stage this Test.
That crisis can’t be forgotten, but Azeem Rafiq will attend the third day as a guest of Yorkshire in a powerful symbol that he has made peace with the reborn club after his complaints of suffering racist abuse during his two spells there. The former off-spinner had expressed concerns about his safety in Leeds as he regularly receives abusive and racist messages from individuals claiming to be Yorkshire supporters, but he has received assurances from the club and the ECB that he will be provided with the necessary security.