"I wouldn't open with Stokes personally" - Nasser Hussain ponders on options in wake of Ben Duckett's injury on Day 2 of 1st PAK vs ENG 2024 Test
Former captain Nasser Hussain has said that he wouldn't recommend opening the innings with Ben Stokes in case Ben Duckett is ruled out of the remainder of the Test series against Pakistan due to injury. Hussain backed Ollie Pope to open with Zak Crawley despite the stand-in captain being dismissed for a duck on Day 2 of the first Test in Multan on Tuesday, October 8.
England suffered an injury scare as opener Duckett hurt his left thumb while taking a catch to dismiss Pakistan's No. 11 batter Abrar Ahmed (3) off Joe Root. The England fielder took the catch on the second attempt and was immediately seen in pain for which he was treated. He didn't come out to open in England's first innings, raising concerns over his fitness.
During a discussion on Sky Sports, Hussain pondered upon possible replacements for Duckett in case he ruled out of the series due to the thumb injury. The former captain isn't convinced with the option of Stokes opening as he commented:
"I wouldn't open with Stokes personally. You could do. He's technically as sound as anyone. I think in these conditions, opening is not like it is in England. I think it's more of a specialist position in England against the Dukes ball. It didn't sit comfortably with Dan Lawrence. He was a little bit all over the place.
"If it's England, I would probably call up a specialist opener. If anything, I'll do what they did tonight - move Ollie Pope up and either bring Jordan Cox in the middle-order or bring Stokes into the middle-order when he is fit. On these pitches, without any sideways movement, it is not as much a specialist position," he added.
Hussain added that although Pope was dismissed for a duck on Tuesday while opening the innings, the visitors should back him for the role in case Duckett doesn't recover in time for the upcoming Tests.
"Pope got out for a duck, but pulling a ball and a freak catch at midwicket. He may not be captain next game, so it may just free up his mind to go and open the batting," the 56-year-old said.
Pope pulled a back of a length delivery from Naseem Shah in the second over of the innings only for Aamer Jamal to pluck a one-handed stunner. As for Stokes, he was ruled out of the ongoing Test due to his hamstring injury. Even if he's declared fit for the next game, he's likely to play as a specialist batter.
Ben Duckett's record in the ongoing World Test Championship
Duckett, who will turn 30 later this month, is fourth in the list of leading run-getters in the 2023-2025 World Test Championship. In 30 innings, he has scored 1,028 runs at an average of 35.44, with one hundred and five fifties.
Overall, the left-handed batter has featured in 26 Tests (excluding the ongoing one) and scored 1,828 runs at an average of 39.73, with three centuries and 10 half-centuries.