Buttler pushed for Ben Stokes’s inclusion in England’s Twenty20 team, but the World Cup-winning all-rounder cannot return the favour in the Test match scheme of things
England’s Jos Buttler (left) and Ben Stokes during the second Test against Australia at the Adelaide Oval on December 16, 2021. Pic/Getty Images
T20 cricket is the hardest format to predict but no one should be surprised by Ben Stokes’s big game success for England. Stokes has an enviable record of performing his best when the stakes are highest. He’s done it in crucial Tests and one-day matches and now he’s achieved that remarkable feat in T20 cricket.
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It’s no wonder England skipper Jos Buttler demanded his presence in the World Cup squad. Typical Stokes—he was biding his time in the round robin games until it came to the must win match against Sri Lanka.
Apart from taking an important catch and wicket, Stokes then guided England to a semi-final clinching victory with a steady but crucial innings. However he really rose to the occasion in the final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) when he steadily piloted England towards the trophy with an innings of steely resolve.
This was not the scintillating Stokes of his match-winning knock at the 2019 Headingley Test or even the master batsman who helped England clinch their first 50 Over World Cup in the same year. This was the sensible left-hander who sized up the occasion and did what was required to ensure England claimed another trophy.
Having achieved wonders in his debut season as Test skipper despite playing some reckless innings, this knock should convince Stokes that at times he needs to bat with a little more caution in the longer format.
England needs Stokes playing well and contributing his best when it matters most.
The fact that Buttler pushed for Stokes’s presence in the T20 squad, despite the all-rounder’s rare appearances in the format speaks highly of the captain’s short form knowledge. Buttler displays much T20 expertise and his one-on-one sessions, where he talked with England players about their role, further enhanced those leadership qualities.
Despite Buttler’s T20 success he’s an enigma in Test cricket. He’s a valuable T20 ‘keeper in addition to being a match-winning batsman but on recent form there’s no place for him in the Test side.
He’s not a Test ‘keeper and you can’t play him as a batsman because in addition to being unsure of himself, he’s a dubious proposition when there are slips in place.
Buttler’s batting dilemma supports former Australian captain Mark Taylor who believes the short forms of the game - unlike the Test version - dictate how you play. This is particularly so in T20 cricket where the game demands a sure-minded batsman right from the off and this suits Buttler.
Unfortunately for Stokes he can’t repay Buttler’s confidence when leading the Test team. As England’s biggest challenge will be making sure they pick their best Test side, this option is not available to Stokes. Their is no place in the Test team for an out of sorts Buttler.
However, the energetic Sam Curran is a player Stokes needs to consider for a Test berth in the right conditions. Like Stokes himself, Curran has a flair for producing the dramatic on big occasions and he harbours a stirring competitive desire allied with a strong success rate. These are qualities that fit perfectly with the Stokes’s style.
Stokes also has to hope the injury bad luck that has haunted England’s faster bowlers ends during his captaincy reign. The other major item on Stokes’ agenda is spin bowling.
England needs to re-think its Test policy on spin and search for a bowler who can dismiss batsmen on good pitches. In short form games spin bowlers can lure batsmen into committing cricketing suicide and it’s a valuable commodity. However, that is rarely viable in Tests and having a spinner play a holding role also has limited value in the longer game.
Stokes is evolving as a captain and has also produced enough magical performances in the heat of battle to be considered a miracle worker by his teammates. This is an invaluable commodity for a captain.
Being a smart cricketer, Stokes can now advance his Test leadership by shrewdly assessing those aspects of a successful T20 World Cup campaign that attracted his attention.
Clayton Murzello’s Pavilion End column will be back next week
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The views expressed in this column are the individual’s and don’t represent those of the paper
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