Nick Knight on Stokes' batting spot and the importance of Moeen
Wednesday 17 February 2016 15:32, UK
Ahead of England’s two-match T20I series against South Africa, Nick Knight blogs on why he'd shunt Ben Stokes up the order and why Moeen Ali has a crucial role to play in the nets…
England have a decision to make in their T20Is against South Africa - do they pick the best team to win the series, or the team they plan to use in the World T20?
I would definitely go for the former as the best thing for England heading to India is to have wins under their belt, even if they then make minor tweaks to their side for the World Cup.
They showed a want to chop and change in the UAE, saying they wanted to increase their depth of squad, but now is the time to play your top XI, not dish out opportunities.
One change England could make - and something I would like to see them explore - is to promote Ben Stokes up the order, perhaps as high as No 3 but certainly to No 4.
That may be a bit of a gamble but you have the safety valve of Joe Root, Eoin Morgan and Jos Buttler - whose position must remain flexible - to come and if they are to win another global tournament then having Stokes' power in a bit earlier could be key.
He is one of those players who you feel can make a dramatic impact in any game so you want him to play as big a role for you as possible.
It could be the difference between winning and losing, even in a team of so many big hitters.
The guts of the side from the one-day series will remain in the T20Is, certainly in the batting department, but I do like the additions of James Vince and Sam Billings.
Vince is a highly-regarded one-day player who gives England a quality replacement at the top of the order should Alex Hales or Jason Roy pick up a niggle.
Plus, Billings is full of invention and could boost the side down the order in the No 6 or No 7 spot, although you would assume Buttler is nailed on to keep the gloves.
What goes on in the nets in South Africa could also be just as important for England as what happens out in the middle.
I don't think there's a real chance they open the bowling with Moeen Ali or Adil Rashid in this series or that Hales and Roy face South Africa spinner Imran Tahir first up.
But England should toss a new ball to Moeen in practice and get him bowling at Hales and Roy so that both of those bases are covered ahead of the World T20, where spin will figure prominently.
South Africa have hit their straps at the right time, with their key men finding form - Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers scored excellent hundreds in the ODIs and Quinton de Kock hit two of them.
The key for them moving forward is to get Dale Steyn fit and firing.
If he is, South Africa become a genuine threat to win the World T20, especially considering many of their players are familiar with Indian conditions through the IPL.
What would your preferred England batting line-up be? Have your say by filling out the comments box at the foot of the page...
Stay up to date with England's T20 warm-up match against South Africa A on Wednesday on Sky Sports' digital platforms before watching the two-match series against South Africa on Sky Sports 2, starting with the opener, in Cape Town, from 3.30pm on Friday.
