New Delhi: England captain Ben Stokes says Chris Woakes has a great opportunity to become the leader of their bowling attack now that James Anderson has retired from Test cricket.
Anderson left international duty after England’s onnings and 114 runs win over West Indies in the first Test at Lord’s last week. The second match will be held in Nottingham.
The 41-year-old leaves after an English record of 188 matches in which he has taken 704 wickets, the most by any pacer in the five-day format’s history.
Stokes said he backs Woakes to now lead the line as the new-ball spearhead. Anderson followed Stuart Broad into retirement, who quit after last year’s Ashes series against Australia.
Together they claimed 1,308 Test wickets and it would the first time since 2012 that England would go into a home Test match without either one of them when they take to the field in the second Test at Trent Bridge on Thursday.
Woakes will be appearing in his 50th Test this week and the 35-year-old averages 22.04 per wicket in Test matches on home soil.
“I see it as an opportunity for someone like Woakesy to take on more of a leadership role in the bowling unit,” Stokes said at a pre-match media interaction on Wednesday.
“We’ve been so used to Jimmy and Broady doing that, so it’s a great opportunity for him. He’s a very experienced player and a phenomenal performer, particularly in England.
“It’s great for him to be able to lead the attack and 50 caps is a huge honour.”
Woakes will have support express pace bowlers Mark Wood and Gus Atkinson, who took 12 wickets on his debut at Lord’s.
“It’s very exciting, the prospect of seeing Gus Atkinson bowl at one end and Mark Wood at the other,” said Stokes.
“Look at the way Gus bowled last week, it’s not only the 12 wickets, it’s finding another bowler who can bowl between 87-90mph.
“Woody is someone who had an unbelievable summer last year in the Ashes.”
Ben Stokes backed Chris Woakes to be England’s new-ball spearhead after James Anderson’s retirement from international cricket Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
