No Sam Curran I see.
Oddly, despite what he does for the team in terms of captaincy and generally how brilliant he is, Stokes is beginning to feel like a bit of a hole in the line up. He doesn’t seem to be relied upon to be able to bowl (and then he out of the blue bowls a stupid long shift). He really needs to be in the team as a pure batsman with the odd over as a nice surprise. Since 2021 he’s scored 1200 odd runs in 44 innings, 6 halfs and a couple of full century and a sub 30 average – so not all that as a pure batsman. You really have to hope the knee is better and he can do his share of the bowling. England always feel a better balanced side with a fast medium or spin bowler who has the potential for a century too. Woakes will really need to step up this summer and be a first choice pick on form if Stokes is there as a bit part bowler at best.
And on the injury front – such a shame about Archer. Clearly not been managed well. But then you look at what’s left – a 37 year old and a 41 year old (by the summer) and a Woods who has been a walking injury time bomb his whole career. It could go very wrong very fast in the fast bowling department.
