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Cricket Players'It has been the case for a while now': Ex-England star points out big 'danger' for English team concerning Root, Stokes
The former England cricketer pointed out the ‘danger’ for English side.
England produced a brilliant performance with the bat in the first innings of the second Test against West Indies. English captain Joe Root scored a magnificent 153, while all-rounder Ben Stokes slammed a quickfire 120 off just 128 deliveries as England declared their first innings on 507/9. At the end of Day 2 of the Test, West Indies were 71/1.
Following the end of the second day of the Test, the cricket fraternity lauded Root and Stokes for their excellent contributions with the bat, but former England batter Nick Compton also believes that the side is over-reliant on the two. When asked if that is the case during a conversation on Sky Sports, Compton said that England are instilling a new culture and it will take time to settle in.
“Yeah, potentially. It has probably been the case for a while now,” said Compton on being asked if England are “in danger of having too much reliance” on Stokes and Root.
"England are trying to instill a new culture post the Ashes. They are trying to create new habits. They've scored three 300s in a row; in terms of batting, they've taken that opportunity.
“Okay, let's be honest, the West Indies are not the most penetrating bowling attack but it takes time to build these new habits. It's good that these guys like Joe Root are continuing to show their excellence. Joe is just a fantastic player in all conditions. He leads from the front. Yes, we do need the players to come through and they will come through.”
Compton also lauded Alex Lees, who scored 30 off 138 deliveries while opening the innings with Zak Crawley, who was dismissed on a duck.
“The likes of Alex Lees, yes he's only got 30, but it shows the importance of complementary skills. He wore down the new bowlers and gave opportunity to Root to play in a more free-flowing way,” said Compton.
