Ben Stokes was included in England squad for the third Test after he was declared not guilty at Bristol Crown Court on Wednesday.
England cricketer Ben Stokes (R) and his wife Clare leave from Bristol Crown Court in Bristol. (Photo: AFP)
Former England skipper Nasser Hussain believes all-rounder Ben Stokes could be included in the third Test against India. However, Hussian also said that Stokes needs to “have a hard look at himself” after the conclusion of the affray trial.
“As far as selection goes, Ben is one of the best XI cricketers in the country and has been found innocent in a court of law, although, obviously, (coach) Trevor Bayliss and (captain) Joe Root have to look at Ben mentally,” Hussain was quoted as saying to Sky Sports News.
Ben Stokes was included in England squad for the third Test after he was declared not guilty at Bristol Crown Court on Wednesday. The New Zealand-born cricketer missed the second Test against India at Lord’s because of his trial.
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“I am amazed how well he has coped mentally over the last few months with this hanging over him and as long as they feel he is mentally fit for selection then they should pick him,” Hussain added.
“Ben is a pretty simple guy – he is most comfortable, most happy playing cricket for England. He loves it. It’s all he wants to do, to be honest. If he says he is available to play then Joe, who knows him well, will want him back.”
“Importantly, I think Stokes needs to have a long, hard look at himself – it’s a couple of times now he has been in the press for the wrong reasons.”
Ben Stokes had played the key role in England’s 31-run win over India in the first match of five-match series at Birmingham.
“The Ben I know and who I see around the cricket team is a popular, unassuming, down-to-earth, very pleasant individual that will stay after a game and do autographs with kids for an hour and give his time.”
“But I only see Stokes at cricket, so Ben has to make a decision — the image we see of him at cricket is probably not the image that has been portrayed over the last six months in the newspapers,” Husain concluded.
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