"Why expose him to the new ball?" Allan Border reacts to reports of Ben Stokes opening in 2023 Ashes
Former Australian captain Allan Border reckons it makes no sense to promote Ben Stokes to open the innings in the 2023 Ashes series. Border feels the all-rounder is a multi-faceted player and should stay in the middle order.
According to The Times, England have considered promoting the captain up the order for the marquee series against Australia. The move is to fuel the attacking brand of cricket the Englishmen have played in the last 18 months.
A Test triumph for the ages!
#OnThisDay in 2019, Ben Stokes’ magical 135* and Jack Leach’s 1* powered England to one of the greatest victories of all time, against Australia, at Headingley 🔥 https://t.co/M1S1U9b1DH
Speaking to Fox Cricket, though, Border underlined that the 31-year-old is a designated match-winner and can bat the way the team wants:
"Stokes is such a good player. I don’t know whether I’d be throwing him into that situation. Why expose him to the new ball when you don’t have to? He can win games from anywhere I suppose, but we saw in (2019) how dangerous he is down the order and with the tail.
"I wouldn’t be fiddling with Ben Stokes’ position in the batting lineup. … he can bat with the tail; he can up the ante; he can hold up an end if he needs to, put the block on. He’s a quality player that guy."
The seam-bowling all-rounder was England's highest run-getter during the 2019 Ashes series. He scored 441 runs in five Tests at 55.13 and managed eight scalps.
"If Ben Stokes opens the batting, that’s a bonus for us" - Brendon Julian
Brendon Julian feels it would be a crazy move to open with the all-rounder, but it could play into Australia's hands if they can get him early. The former Australian fast bowler said:
"That’d be a crazy move. I wouldn’t be getting too involved in the way they’re playing. If they want to be aggressive and take it on, so be it. If Ben Stokes opens the batting, then that’s a bonus for us, because you get him out early, then they’re right under the pump.
"If they want to play that type of aggressive cricket, then that’s great. That may work for them, but we don’t have to meet them halfway. We just go and play our way to win a series."
The Ashes series starts on June 16 at Edgbaston in Birmingham.