‘You can't give him an excuse’: Nasser Hussain reckons Ben Stokes ‘hasn't yet done it in T20I cricket’

Former England captain Nasser Hussain has said that even though Stokes is a proven match-winner, he is yet to showcase his talent in T20Is.

England all-rounder Ben Stokes had a tough time in the recently-concluded 5-match T20I series against India. He batted at number five or six but couldn’t stay longer at the crease. His only defining innings came in the fourth T20I, but he was not able to take England over the line.

Former England Nasser Hussain (L), all-rounder Ben Stokes (R) (HT Collage)

Stokes ended the series with 84 runs from three innings, including 3 sixes and 7 boundaries. He managed to pick 3 wickets in the five games he played against Virat Kohli-led India.

Meanwhile, former England captain Nasser Hussain has said that even though Stokes is a proven match-winner, he is yet to showcase his talent in T20Is. The former’s remarks came after Eoin Morgan’s England suffered a 3-2 defeat in the T20I rubber which held at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

While speaking to Sky Sports, Hussain said, “The one grey area is Stokes. You can't give him an excuse as, at the moment, he has not transferred any of his other form into international T20 cricket.”

"Dawid Malan is the No 1-ranked T20 batsman in the world - that's a fact - so should Ben, who has not yet done it in T20 international cricket, take over from someone who has?

“That's a big call to make but we know with Morgan that if he has to make those calls, he will, even on the eve of the tournament. Before the 50-over World Cup, it was 'thank you very much, David Willey, you're done'. After the World Cup final, it was ‘Liam Plunkett, you are still bowling well but thank you, you're done'.

“Morgan will be ruthless so it's can they find a different role for Stokes or do they stick with what they have got?

“All I would say is that if you get to a World Cup semi-final or final and you need 20 off two overs, you wouldn't want a different character out there than Stokes. Someone who has bottle and fight to get you over the line. He wins you big games,” Hussain added.

Stokes will next be seen in the three-match ODI series against Virat Kohli and boys which begins on Tuesday in Pune. After the ODI series, the all-rounder will represent Rajasthan Royals in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL), beginning April 9.