"Ben Stokes is an influential player, our third best. He has a fantastic technique and has made so many improvements with his batting. He would be a great loss."
Saturday 28 October 2017 08:20, UK
Graham Gooch says Joe Root must bat in the "statement" position of No 3 if England are to challenge Australia during The Ashes.
Root reverted to No 4 during the summer, scoring 190 from that spot against South Africa at Lord's in his first Test as captain.
However, former England captain Gooch told Sky Sports Cricket that the fragility within the rest of the middle order - a situation that will be exacerbated if Ben Stokes does not travel to Australia - means Root should come in at one wicket down.
Gooch, 64, also believes that Steve Smith's side will look to "undermine" Root in his maiden Ashes series in charge - and that Stokes' potential absence would be a "great loss".
"I do think he should bat at No 3 and the reason I say that is because we need to make a statement," Gooch said of Root, who averages 54.38 at No 4 and 45.33 at No 3.
"We cannot have a weak link, we cannot be 25-2 every time. In this line-up, he has to bat at No 3.
"If we had a regular No 3 who was successful and had a track record behind him, then [Root] can bat at No 4, but I don't see any of the players who are hopefully going to make a name for themselves [James Vince, Dawid Malan and Gary Ballance] batting there.
"It's going to be tough - Australia always target the captain, look to undermine him if they can.
"If they can undermine his performance so he is not a big contributor in matches that undermines his wellbeing and confidence. Then, in theory, he might not lead the side so well."
Root's vice-captain, Stokes, will not fly to Australia with the rest of the England squad on October 28 having been suspended following his arrest on suspicion of actual bodily harm in Bristol last month.
Stokes scored his maiden Test hundred against Australia in Perth during England's 5-0 defeat in the 2013-14 Ashes and then two fifties as they regained the urn on home soil in 2015.
"I don't think what's happened over the last few weeks has helped England's cause at all," Gooch said of the Stokes situation. "The disruption this could cause is going to be difficult to cope with.
"Stokes is an influential player. He is our third best player, in my opinion - he has a fantastic technique and has made so many improvements with his batting. He would be a great loss."
Gooch says Australia are favourites to triumph in the five-Test series, but believes England have enough "world class" players to compete, calling Jonny Bairstow a cricketer "to be feared".
However, he is concerned how dangerous star seamer James Anderson, who became the first Englishman to 500 Test wickets over the summer, will be with the Kookaburra ball.
"I subscribe to the view that we have some very good players," Gooch added.
"We are not lacking in world-class players - [Alastair] Cook, Root, Moeen Ali has done pretty well, Stokes would be if he makes the trip, Bairstow is a player to be feared, Chris Woakes is an absolutely fantastic cricketer.
"One of our slight worries is if Jimmy is going to be as effective in Australia. We love Jimmy, I think his longevity, his robustness, his skills are fantastic. He's easily the best England bowler.
"But at 35, with almost five back-to-back Test matches, is he going to be as influential? We'd like to say hopefully but realistically? Unlikely. Hopefully he might get a couple of wickets where he is going to be influential."
To hear more from Gooch, including on whether England should move Bairstow up the batting order, hit the video at the top of the page.
Gooch will be sharing his most vivid Ashes memories in a show coming soon to Sky Sports Cricket, so stay tuned!
