England should open with Ben Stokes if Alex Hales injured, says Alec Stewart
Tuesday 22 March 2016 15:45, UK
Surrey director of cricket Alec Stewart believes Ben Stokes could open the batting alongside Jason Roy for their World T20 game with Afghanistan if Alex Hales is ruled out through injury.
Hales and Roy have struck up a positive partnership at the top of the order but Nottinghamshire's Hales is struggling with a back problem that will be assessed on Wednesday morning ahead of the game, live on Sky Sports 2 HD from 9am.
James Vince appears likely to come in to replace him but former England captain Stewart is keen to see Stokes and Roy opening the batting in Delhi.
"It will be a huge blow, Jason Roy and Alex Hales are two very destructive players and they have created a very good opening partnership," Stewart told Sky Sports News HQ.
"Let's hope he is 100 per cent fit and the two of them can go out and open the batting and repeat what they did the other day against South Africa.
"You want to still take the attacking options and I wouldn't be against pushing Ben Stokes up the top of the order if Alex Hales isn't fit.
"There's James Vince there in reserve but if Ben Stokes bats for 10 or 12 overs, England will win the game, I promise you that.
"He doesn't open too often, perhaps just one or two occasions for Durham, but I would gamble and say to Ben 'go up there, show how good you are, and bat with Jason Roy'."
Stewart is well aware of Roy's abilities, having regularly seen him opening the batting for Surrey, and he feels he has the ability to swing a game in his team's favour in the same way Stokes can.
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"He is a destructive player. If you speak to bowlers, he is one of the last batsmen they would want to bowl to," Stewart said of Roy.
"He destroyed Dale Steyn in that opening over [against South Africa], to really set the tone for England to go on and win that game.
"Joe Root took the plaudits and rightly so but Jason Roy really took the attack to the opposition, he put them on the backfoot, to allow England to bring that run-rate down.
"Just like Stokes, if Roy bats 10 overs in a 20-over game, that side will win more times than not.
"He [Roy] just needs to bat a little longer now and get 75 or even a hundred."
As for England's chances of winning the tournament, Stewart is convinced they can beat anyone on their day and could yet cause an upset.
"I said before the tournament started, England won't be one of the favourites but they are a very dangerous side," he added.
"We saw that against South Africa and although we didn't see it [in their opening defeat] against West Indies, if they are on their 'A' game, they can beat anyone.
"I include West Indies and India in that, who are probably the two favourites, although we must not discount New Zealand.
"If England can repeat what they did with the bat against South Africa, they then need to be just a little bit smarter with the ball and execute their variations a little better.
"They can go all the way but they have to be on their 'A' game."
Watch England v Afghanistan in the World T20 on Wednesday. Coverage begins on Sky Sports 2 HD at 9am.
