Ben Stokes' 'staggering' act before India series irks Michael Vaughan: 'Why wouldn't you want to play...?'

Hindustan Times

7 hours ago

Former England captain Michael Vaughan revealed on Thursday that he was "staggered" by Ben Stokes' preparation for the crucial home Test series against India. The series will begin on June 20 with the opener in Leeds before the proceedings head to the Ashes in the winter.
Stokes will be a vital player for England through the seven weeks of action at home against a new-look Indian side, which will not have the likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin, all of whom retired in the wake of the series defeat in Australia. However, the all-rounder has barely had enough game time at the crease, which comes after a dip in form in the previous season, leaving Vaughan worried.
Speaking to Daily Mail, the veteran batter reckoned Stokes should have played the two matches for England Lions against India A earlier this month to get into the rhythm for the series against India, which would subsequently help him in the tour of Australia.
"I've been staggered by the lack of time in the middle that Ben's had as a batter. He didn't have a great year last year when he got his injuries. A Scottie Scheffler or a footballer going into a major event would be playing. He's had no game time. Why wouldn't you want to play for England Lions just for a knock, not to bowl? He was bowling against Zimbabwe, and clearly he's fine, but why wouldn't you just want a bit of time in the middle? Call me old school, but I think it's quite nice to go out and hit a few balls.
"England can only win in Australia with him, and that's him being the all-rounder. If he goes to Australia just as the batter, that completely breaks the balance of the team and as much as he's a genius captain, the team are 30-40 per cent better when he bowls. To win in Australia, he has to be bowling and batting well."
England won four of their last five series, and their only loss came from Pakistan. Prior to that, they lost in India. But Vaughan has backed the side to avenge the defeat.
He said: "Now it's about winning. Look at 2019 when we won the World Cup. Did England play the cricket that they'd been playing previously to win that final? Did they heck. They had to dig deep and play the old school horrible way, but they won.
"They are remembered as winners. I always revert back to the Newcastle football side of the 1990s - the Kevin Keegan era. Bloody great, we talk about them, but they didn't win. Make sure you're not that. Make sure that you're not the most entertaining England side that's ever been, but not won an Ashes. Don't leave it until 2027."