Ashes is just around the corner and England are not that hopeful that they can prevail. The unavailability of Archer and Stone to bowl at high pace will be missed. Wood is injury prone. It is under such circumstances Ben Stokes, the talisman of English cricket has announced his availability for the Ashes. Benny is back in business.
Stokes said. “I am looking forward to seeing my mates and being on the field with them. I’m ready for Australia.”
These words must have been music to the ears of Joe Root. Root is under tremendous pressure. Not only does he have to score the bulk of the runs, he will have to captain the team to success. England have not tasted success in Australia over the last couple of tours. Infact, they have been disasters. Stokes was initially unavailable but has now made him available for the tour. Root and the rest of the England team required this much needed boost to their chances. At the sametime, I don’t think these words will strike any fear into the minds of the Aussies. Yes, there was that Headingley game where Stokes won the test singlehandedly but the Ashes will be held in Australia. That itself must dissipate any lingering memories that they have of Stokes.
Nonetheless, Australia will relish the prospect of seeing Stokes in the opposition. Afterall, he is the premier allrounder in the world.
Australia are not that worried about Stokes
Steve Smith says,
‘Anytime someone comes back from (mental health issues) it’s a great thing and we love coming up against the best players, so it’s great to see him going to be on the plane.
‘I think any team’s more dangerous when you’ve got someone like Ben Stokes playing.
‘It certainly adds a lot to their depth, but we’re excited and I’m glad personally that he’s able to be back playing some cricket. It makes for a really good series.’
“This is great news for the Ashes and will give Root and his England team a huge boost as Stokes has the rare ability to inspire his teammates on the pitch in the heat of battle,” Shane Warne tweeted. “Let’s hope every ground is packed and enjoy the Ashes contest.”
Stokes is absolutely essential for England. With his inclusion, suddenly, a series that was thought will be one-sided with Australia stomping England, has now been given a huge life and scales have tilted and now is in the balance. Not only because of the wickets, runs and at the field, Stokes brings in a whole set of emotion into the game. He lifts the entire team with his mere presence. He is selfless and will be willing to bowl all-day if the captain wants. Stokes provides the much needed balance to the English side and now they can play a spinner. Leach will be invaluable in Adelaide and Sydney. Buttler says,
“He’s one of the best players in the world and he makes you feel a foot taller when he’s in the team with you, so great news. As a friend and teammate everyone’s just delighted that he’s happy and healthy and ready to get back on the park.”
Lack of match practice the only worry
Stokes must be completely refreshed and is ready for Australia. Will he be able to perform miracles during the tour? We just have to wait for a little over a month. The only problem will be by the time he lands in Australia, Stokes would not have played competitive cricket for more than 6 months. That is a very long time before an important series. It is a given that he will play all the warm-up games. How will he be able to get into form remains to be seen. The Australians know that alongwith Root, Stokes is the priced member. They will leave no stone unturned to unsettle Stokes. Verbally as well.
Winning in Australia
Stokes will dearly want to win a series in Australia. He missed the last one because of the Bristol incident. He will not want to retire without winning a series in Australia. To achieve that, not only Stokes the entire team will have to raise their game.
Two new IPL teams and the massive revenue for the board
RPSG Ventures Ltd and Irelia Company Pte Ltd have successfully bid for the new teams from the 2022 season onwards. Rs. 7090 CR and Rs. 5625 CR respectively. It was really a shock to most of the fans. Infact, the board themselves would not have expected such a high bid. It is a windfall for them. It is confirmed that the IPL is the biggest event of the game. Surely, it far supersedes even the ODI world cup. More games and more players are inevitable by-products now. Ahmedabad and Lucknow will be new teams. Gujarat had representation before in the form of Gujarat Lions whereas this is the first representation for Lucknow. Most likely Suresh Raina, who hails from UP, will be the captain.
Ganguly said, “The BCCI is happy to welcome two new teams from the next season of the Indian Premier League. I would like to congratulate RPSG Ventures Ltd. & Irelia Company Pte Ltd for being the successful bidders. The IPL will now go to two new cities in India viz in Lucknow and Ahmedabad. It is heartening to see the inclusion of two new teams at such a high valuation.”
I am afraid the BCCI is growing too big for their own comfort.