Ben Stokes’ mental wellbeing more important than first Test, says Nasser Hussain
England must make Ben Stokes’ mental wellbeing their priority even if that means he sits out the Boxing Day Test against South Africa, says Nasser Hussain.
Stokes missed training on Tuesday in order to be at the bedside of his father Ged, who is in a “critical condition” in a Johannesburg hospital after being taken ill on Monday.
- Stokes’ father in critical condition
Hussain told Sky Sports that even if the all-rounder wants to play at Centurion that the decision may need to be taken out his hands.
The camp will be very concerned about Ben Stokes. Ben is a very popular member of the side and not having Ben here means everyone will be thinking about him so it will be very difficult to switch on and concentrate.
Nasser Hussain
“It has to be the individual’s decision to a degree but in what other walk of life would you have your dad in hospital in a critical situation and come into work, even if he wants to come in?” said Hussain.
“I think we have to look after our cricketers who have already travelled halfway around the world to come here. The mental wellbeing of Stokes is absolutely paramount.
“Ben wants to play all the time and do everything – bat, bowl, field, Super Over, Headingley, everything. But at some point you have to think ‘is it right?’
“Then, what if – and we hope this doesn’t happen – Ben’s dad deteriorates during the game? Ben will want to go away and that is going to cause problems. You have to err on the side of caution and look after that asset.”
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Stokes was joined in missing training by fellow all-rounder Chris Woakes, who has become the latest in a string of players to have been hit by illness on England’s tour so far.
I’m not surprised some of them are unwell. You send them off to New Zealand, send them halfway around the world for a week at home, then you send them back here, you will pick up things. It’s just good that it has happened now and not on the first morning of a Test where you can’t come back.
Nasser Hussain on the illness that has hit England
Seamers Stuart Broad and Jofra Archer and spinner Jack Leach sat out both warm-up games with a virus and with James Anderson only recently over a calf injury, Hussain says England cannot risk going into the Centurion Test with only four bowlers.
The Sky Cricket expert wants the tourists to select a spinner – Matt Parkinson and Dom Bess are options if Leach remains sidelined – but expects them to go in with an all-pace attack on a speedy surface.
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“If Stokes isn’t around, I wouldn’t just play the extra batsman in Jonny Bairstow and go to four bowlers,” added Hussain ahead of the first Test, which is live on Sky Sports Cricket from 7am Boxing Day.
“One reason is because it is hot, while we are also at altitude and that takes it out of you, you are digging deep.
“You also have a bowler coming back from injury in Anderson, then you’ve got Broad and Archer who are coming back from ill health, so that his not a four-man attack you want to be going in with.
“I would definitely have five bowlers and definitely have a spinner as I would be thinking about the second innings but I don’t think England will have a spinner. I think they will go in with five seamers.
“What brings England into this series is that even though it is the Kookaburra ball, it does a bit here. It goes through and the pitches are quicker, so it will be so different to what they faced in New Zealand [in a two-match series they lost 1-0].
“England have to be prepared for Kagiso Rabada to come steaming in on a hard, green pitch where the ball will whizz through.
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