Ben Stokes has struggled to make an impact with the bat so far at the T20 World Cup, but Jonathan Agnew believes the all-rounder’s “wise head and experience” means England “still need” him in the team
Despite his reputation as one of the most fearsome batters in world cricket, Ben Stokes’ place in England’s T20 World Cup side has come under question after a string of low scores.
After not playing a T20I for almost 18 months, Stokes was tasked with batting at number four in England’s World Cup campaign. However, the 31-year-old has failed to make an impact with the bat, scoring 16 runs at an average of 5.33 and a strike rate of 84.21.
He is also yet to hit a single boundary and was bumped down to number six against New Zealand to give explosive hitters like Moeen Ali and Liam Livingstone more of an opportunity to cause destruction.
Despite his struggles with the bat, Stokes has made an impact with the ball, picking up four wickets at 9.25. And former England bowler turned BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew believes they “still need” Stokes in the side.