England head coach Chris Silverwood has revealed that they will “consider rotating” Ben Stokes in order to maintain his workload to make sure the ace all-rounder to be available for them as much as possible.
Stokes is yet again enjoying another fabulous calendar year, as he has now attained the top spot at the ICC Test Rankings for the all-rounders and even is only behind Steve Smith and Virat Kohli among the top batsmen with his impressive show against the West Indies.
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The all-rounder scored 176 and 78* as well as took three wickets to help England beat West Indies by 113 runs in the second Test to level the ongoing three-match Test series 1-1 with the third and final to be played at Old Trafford Cricket Ground in Manchester from July 24 (Friday).
Stokes has reached to incredible heights over the years and he has now become a crucial part of England set-up across all three formats of the game and Silverwood also admitted that the latter is making it difficult for England selectors to give him a break with his consistent stellar all-round performances, but said they must make sure he can maintain his top spot.
Ahead of the final Windies Test, England head coach also revealed that they will “consider rotating” Stokes and even could rest him for the third Test despite it may make a big difference for the hosts.
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Silverwood said, “We want him out there as much as we can -- everyone can see how good he is. But you know what; we're going to consider it (resting Stokes). He's been at the center of the last couple of games now and we've got to make sure he's OK. But if he is fit and healthy and good to go, he'll play.”
He further added, “The stats don’t lie, do they? He’s passing milestones and making records for himself. It’s our job to provide an environment where he can continue to do so. He’s on the crest of a wave at the moment so we’ve got to make sure he stays there and support him the best we can.”
Meanwhile, Stokes could bowl only 14 overs in West Indies' second innings, but the coach has insisted that there was "absolutely nothing to worry about", but they have to make sure pacer did not train too hard.
Silverwood signed off by saying, “He'll keep pushing himself, which is why he is as good as he is. But from a training perspective, we try and rein him in where possible and keep him as fit as a fiddle because I know we're a better team with him out there... We've got to look after him the best we can.”
(With AFP Inputs)
