Ben Stokes has admitted that Eoin Morgan’s shoes are too big to be filled by him after being named the captain of England’s limited-overs series against Pakistan. He also mentioned it would be an understatement to say that he wasn’t expecting to be England’s captain for the series against Pakistan.
Earlier, Stokes wasn’t named in England’s squad for the series against Pakistan and was expected to miss the T20I series as well. However, things happened so fast after three players and four support staff members of England’s side were tested positive for Covid-19. Stokes was then recalled in a revised squad, which also features nine uncapped players.
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“Well, that escalated quickly! To say that I wasn’t expecting to be leading England out in a one-day match in Cardiff this week would be a huge understatement. But here we are, and duty calls,” Stokes wrote in his column for The Mirror.
“I only packed clothes for three days away from home, so there will need to be a bit of extra washing done, although I hadn’t actually received any of my new England one day kit yet so that should all be waiting for me, I hope,” he said.
The star all-rounder has captained England in Tests when regular skipper Joe Root took paternity leave for the birth of his child. Stokes reveals the last time he captained a white-ball team was during a warm-up game ahead of the Indian Premier League.
“The last time I captained a white ball side was in an IPL warm-up game. So this will be new for me too, but my experience as a player should get me through, even if Morgs’ (Eoin Morgan) shoes are unbelievably big to fill!” said Stokes.
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In a matter of hours, England selectors put together a whole new team for the Pakistan series. Stokes was amazed by how quickly this team was put together.
“I’m not sure how many countries could lose this many players and still have such quality to choose from at such short notice. We are lucky to have the strength in depth that we have in white-ball cricket, and this is just a fantastic opportunity for these players to show what they can do,” said Stokes.
“You have to be able to adapt at this level and that is what has been going on over the last 24 hours off the field. It has been amazing how quickly things have been put in place since I got the call late on Monday night,” he further added.
