Ben Stokes to open in ODIs? Ricky Ponting has his say

Ben Stokes has not played any white-ball cricket for England since the 2023 World Cup in India, but Ricky Ponting believes that the Three Lions would do well to consider opening with the left-hander in the Champions Trophy.

Stokes announced his retirement from ODI cricket in 2022 but reversed his retirement and played in the 50-over World Cup last year in India, where England had a tournament to forget. The all-rounder has since not discussed his ODI future but claimed recently that he would definitely love to feature in white-ball cricket again if he gets a call from newly-appointed white-ball coach Brendon McCullum.

Stokes has never opened the batting in ODIs to date, but Ponting believes England’s best bet will be to pair the left-hander up the order alongside Ben Duckett.

“I wouldn’t mind the thought of Ben Stokes opening in white-ball cricket. In the middle-order, he’s played a lot of really important innings when the team’s back’s been against the wall but I’ve always felt that he is a better top-order white-ball player,” Ponting said on Sky Sports.

“With Duckett playing the way he does, someone that can bat like Ben [Stokes] with that kind of technique and still score quite quickly would be great at the top of the order.”

Ponting asserted that Stokes will give England that extra security up the order, particularly in tough conditions, which he stated is not currently provided by the incumbent Phil Salt.

Salt averages 32.50 in ODIs, but this average drops to 22.23 against teams other than Ireland and the Netherlands. In the recently concluded ODI series against Australia, Salt averaged just 19.20, not posting a single fifty.

“What you want up top is someone that’s got the technique to get through difficult situations against world-class fast bowlers when the ball is moving. Duckett does that, Stokes can do that,” Ponting opined.

“Salt might get you off to a flyer occasionally, but there’s a lot of risk involved in his style. Even today [in the 5th ODI], so many balls went past his outside edge. I think a little bit more security is needed [up top]. 

“So having a batter that has the class to be able to score quick enough when the conditions suit, and against certain opposition, I think would be the right way to go for England.”

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