England fans must hope that Ben Stokes is playing mind-games

PAUL NEWMAN: England fans must hope that Ben Stokes is playing mind-games to lull opposition into false sense of security rather than face reality of injury scare to cricket star

• The sight of Stokes wincing in pain could be mind-games from the England star
• But the more likely scenario is too worrying t ocontemplate for England fans

Could it really be mind-games? Might the sight of Ben Stokes wincing in pain as he took a routine catch in England’s slightly held up demolition of Ireland be designed to lull the old enemy into a false sense of security? It is not beyond the realms of possibility.

The alternative and, let’s be honest, far more likely scenario is too worrying to contemplate. That an injury which is shaping up to be the most talked about and significant to an England team since Wayne Rooney’s metatarsal is still severely restricting a man who, against Ireland at least, became a non-bowling and non-batting captain.

The state of Stokes left knee is set to dominate England’s thinking as they depart en masse to play golf at some of the best courses in Scotland this week as part of their deliberately relaxed build-up to an Ashes series that begins in just 11 days time.

The England captain was adamant after Ireland extended their one-off Test at Lord’s into the last session of the third day that he is on course to bowl against Australia at Edgbaston and spent 20 minutes before play on Saturday trying to prove it.

But can the enormity of the Ashes occasion, Stokes super-human qualities and pure adrenalin be enough to enable him to fulfil the fourth seamer’s role that remains crucial to the balance of the England side and all their pre-series confidence?

England captain Ben Stokes is one of the most important bowlers in the team

The state of Stokes left knee is set to dominate England’s thinking as they hope for the best

Stokes’ England teammates will be hoping for a swift recovery for their captain

Make no mistake, the importance of Stokes the bowler cannot be over-estimated. If he can still provide those long spells, when the ball is reverse swinging or simply when England need something different, their attack covers just about every base.

If he cannot, as two lower order Ireland players in Andy McBrine and Mark Adair proved by holding them up for the best part of two hours on Saturday, then England can look limited on the sort of flat pitches Stokes has demanded for the Ashes.

In all the uncertainty of Stokes readiness for bowling, the role of Jack Leach becomes all the more crucial as he will have to bring control to a four-man attack, not least to give England’s ageing or slightly injury prone seamers manageable workloads.

There is no question an Australia side with potentially four left-handers in their top seven will target Leach and they will have been hugely encouraged to see the left-armer disappear for 56 in his eight over spell in the hour after lunch on the third day at Lord’s.

If Stokes cannot bowl then England should look at a four-man all seam attack for the first Test

Stokes faith in Leach has been absolute and it seems non-negotiable to the captain that his place could even be questioned at an Edgbaston ground next week that is one of the least condusive to spin on the Ashes circuit.

But if Stokes cannot bowl then England really should look at a four-man all seam attack for the first Test, with Joe Root providing the spin and turning the ball away from those Australian left-handers. He really can be just as an effective slow bowler as Leach.

If not then England will have to make a choice between the proven big match temperament of Stuart Broad and the extreme pace of a man who has become even more important to England in the absence of Jofra Archer and Olly Stone in Mark Wood.

The indication before Ireland’s unexpected second innings resistance was England were leaning towards Broad and leaving out Wood, banking on Stokes to provide pace when the ball goes soft or the pitch offers no traditional English sideways movement.

The captain shrugged off all concerns after play, saying he had ‘just landed awkwardly’

After all, Broad remains the perfect man for the big occasion, looked at his best in taking five first innings Irish wickets and has such a hold over David Warner that it would be folly to even contemplate going into the start of the Ashes without him.

But Saturday, when Ireland made 362 before their inevitable 10-wicket defeat, provided considerable food for thought for England and more concern over that Stokes knee. Yes, Broad needs to play at Edgbaston but so too does Wood alongside two automatic choices, as long as they are fully fit, in Jimmy Anderson and Ollie Robinson.

At least England have found another genuine alternative to Wood as a point of difference in Josh Tongue who took five wickets on his first appearance at Lord’s in the Ireland second innings and was named in England’s 16-man squad for the first two Ashes Tests. His emergence proved another inspired selection ahead of Chris Woakes here by an England side who have got just about everything right over the last year.

So perhaps we just have to trust Stokes. The captain, as is his wont, shrugged off all concerns after play, saying he had ‘just landed awkwardly’ when he caught Curtis Campher at short fine leg, winced and then hobbled towards the successful bowler in Root.

It was, apart from his outstanding captaincy, Stokes only tangible contribution to the match and perhaps the biggest worry for the Ashes and beyond is that he is becoming so selfless and keen to promote others that his unique talents with bat and ball are taking too much of a back seat.

Not that Stokes expects to become a ‘non-playing’ captain any time soon. He preferred to concentrate on his 20 minute spell bowling on the Lord’s square, with his leg brace firmly in place, before play and said ‘I’m definitely on course to bowl in the first Test.’

That self-belief and determination is such a huge part of what makes Stokes tick that we can only take him on face value, let him and his team enjoy their golf at Loch Lomond and beyond, and hope everything will be alright on the first Ashes night.

And if his wincing on Saturday really is a big wind up aimed not just at Australia but a media who will not stop asking and fretting about his knee, then we can all enjoy the joke when Stokes comes steaming in at Edgbaston a week on Friday.

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