ENG v AUS 2018: Hussain and Atherton discuss how can Stokes and Woakes get back into the XI

Ben Stokes and Chris Woakes are currently recovering from injuries.

Ben Stokes and Chris Woakes (Getty)

England are winning and winning very handsomely in the ongoing One-Day International series against Australia but the Eoin Morgan led side doing so well despite two of their best players has made it even more spectacular.

Yes, Ben Stokes and Chris Woakes are both not playing the series versus the arch-rivals, as they continue to recover from their respective injuries. What has become interesting now, though, is how does England find a place back for both in their eleven, one year ahead of the World Cup. 

This is where Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain, two of England's former captains and best commentators that we have, got together to discuss about the matter on Sky Sports. 

Atherton despite having seen England's white-ball play in this series, said, "You have to play Ben Stokes, He gives you so much in all areas of the game; he's a destructive player, not that England are short of those! He is an extra bowler and the best fielder in the England team. Woakes gives you wicket-taking options with the new ball and excellent death bowling. He also offers you depth with the bat."

Hussain thinks the flexibility that the team management led by head coach Traver Bayliss and captain Eoin Morgan exhibits, will be the key. 

He said, "If you are going to leave one of Roy, Bairstow or Hales out then you'd better come in and perform. The older I've got the more I've gone 'horses for courses'. If it's a Trent Bridge sort of surface, do you need that extra batter? Do you need Joe Root going in with two or three overs to go? I'd have played the extra bowler there. When you get to Cardiff in an ICC semi-final and it's a turning pitch, I'd want the extra batter"

Tricky times ahead, you'd presume, for Eoin Morgan. 

(Inputs from GIVEMESPORT)

 
 

By Kashish Chadha - 24 Jun, 2018

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