Stokes pleaded to be reinstated as vice-captain
All-rounder badgered us for the role, says Giles Team director hopeful Anderson will return
Ben Stokes lobbied England’s management for a return as Test vicecaptain, a position he was stripped of in late 2017 following a late-night brawl in Bristol, Ashley Giles has revealed.
Giles, the national team director, said yesterday that it was Stokes who had approached both him and Tom Harrison, the chief executive of the England and Wales Cricket Board, to reprise the role, rather than the other way around.
“It is [an incredible turnaround],” explained Giles, of the 12 months since August 2018 when Stokes was cleared of affray following charges brought after the Bristol incident. “And this is one of the responses that we want to see, really.
“It was actually Ben Stokes who was badgering away as well about having the vice-captaincy back, because this means so much to him. Not just the vice-captaincy, but the Ashes series, Test cricket and he believes that as Joe [Root’s] righthand man he can deliver for him, and he is demonstrating that pretty well at the moment.
“He badgered myself and Tom Harrison. He was desperate to do it. He really is one of your warriors when you take to the field. And he has demonstrated that a couple of times this year at least, and on two of the biggest stages in the World Cup final and last week in the Test match. He is almost, when you write the team down, going to be your first name on the list.”
The renewed maturity – and responsibility – has suited Stokes and his evolving game this summer. However, it was not immediately clear that the Durham all-rounder would react well to such an elevation. Even when he was announced as vice-captain in July, there were worries that he was trying too hard to redeem himself of his past actions, and fears of burnout were voiced. Against India last year, there were occasions where his eagerness to impress appeared at odds with the Test mentality required to succeed.
These issues seem to have been ironed out. “I love having that responsibility,” insisted Stokes when he was appointed. “It is something that I thoroughly enjoy doing. I take pride in being vicecaptain. Being part of that thinktank is pretty cool.”
Giles, meanwhile, is optimistic about England’s prospects for the rest of the Ashes series following Stokes’s unbeaten 135 at Headingley last weekend. His heroics in Leeds mean the series is level at 1-1 going into the final two Tests – an unlikely prospect when England were bowled out for 67 in their first innings at Headingley.
“What sport can deliver in terms of drama, joy, ecstasy, despair. I don’t think there is anything quite like it and last weekend had all of that in a day, it felt like,” the 2005 Ashes winner said on BBC’S Sportsweek radio programme.
“Morale wise, being back in the series, that’s how fine the lines are. We could [have been] looking at some very different interviews [last] Monday and Tuesday. We are very much back in the Ashes series now and I’m sure that the guys will be full of confidence. And just that performance that Ben Stokes delivered, I’m sure it will raise everyone else as well.”
Following the news that James Anderson has had to withdraw from the rest of the Ashes series after a recurrence of the calf injury that had sidelined him since bowling just four overs on the first day of the first Test, Giles remains sanguine.
“Jimmy will be desperate really [to return],” said Giles, before admitting that he was not sure how long he would be out for.
“He was obviously looking forward to this series and had worked so hard to try and get back for these last two Test matches. I would hope that there is enough time leading to New Zealand for Jimmy to be fit,” he continued, referring to England’s next Test series, which starts in late November following a series of tour matches and five T20 internationals. After the tour of New Zealand, England will travel to South Africa, with the first of four Tests starting on Boxing Day.
“In terms of strategy, we have got a couple of options really. We are in the year of a T20 World Cup, so we could play our best T20 team and give our guys a break from Test cricket.
“But if you look at it the other way around, most of our top players play a lot of T20 cricket already. We’ve talked a lot about refocusing on red-ball cricket, maybe it’s an opportunity to play a really strong team in those Test matches, particularly leading into a South Africa series which follows on almost a week or 10 days later. We’re still juggling with that at the moment. I do hope Jimmy is available.”