England pace bowler Jofra Archer should use Ben Stokes as a role model, according to West Indies all-rounder Carlos Brathwaite.
Archer, 25, was dropped for the second Test against West Indies for breaching the bio-secure protocols.
“Stokes needs to put his arm around Jofra,” Brathwaite told BBC Test Match Special.
“He needs to usher him from where he is now to get Jofra to where Stokes is as a leader and Mr England.”
Stokes, 29, has suffered a number of career setbacks, on and off the field.
In 2016, he was hit for four consecutive sixes by Brathwaite in the last over of the World T20 final as England were beaten by West Indies.
A year later, an incident outside a Bristol nightclub led to him being charged with affray. Although he was ultimately acquitted, he was forced to miss the 2017-18 Ashes tour of Australia.
In 2019, Stokes followed a match-winning performance in the World Cup final with one of the all-time great Test innings to give England a sensational one-wicket win over Australia at Headingley.
On Friday, in the match Archer is being forced to miss, he stroked a sublime 176 to help put England in a dominant position at Emirates Old Trafford.
“It’s very, very difficult to come back from those two public humiliations,” said Brathwaite, who has won 88 caps for West Indies across all formats.
“You think not only the T20 World Cup but what happened that night in Bristol. Two very important incidents, one on the field in a final, one off the field with a legal battle and front page news. The comeback he’s made is remarkable, so Jofra hasn’t got far to look.”
Stokes and Archer were team-mates in the Indian Premier League before Archer made his England debut last summer.
Before Archer bowled the super over in the World Cup final, Stokes famously spoke to him to say whatever happened would not “define” the rest of his career.
“There will need to be a similar chat to Jofra after this breach,” said Brathwaite. “They seem good friends. Jof has spoken about their relationship.”
Archer was dropped after admitting to travelling to his home in Brighton on the way from Southampton – the venue for West Indies’ four-wicket win in the first Test – to Old Trafford.
He must spend five days in isolation before he can rejoin the England squad.
“I’ve stayed in contact with him over text,” said Stokes, who captained England at the Ageas Bowl. “We understand it can be a very vulnerable and lonely place for him right now.
“It’s not an ideal position to be in for Jof, but when you spend so much time with someone, you take away the outside noise and get to understand the emotions he’s going through. Making sure that Jof is as happy as he possibly can be is the main thing for us.
“It’s all good being there for people when things are going well, but what really comes through is how you operate with someone when they need you the most.”
Stokes’ century was his fourth in 12 Tests, during which he has averaged 57.28 and also made valuable contributions with the ball and in the field.
In the same period, he has been named as the International Cricket Council’s player of the year and the leading cricketer in the world by Wisden.
“Stokes is the all-round package in terms of the way he can play,” former England captain Michael Vaughan told BBC Sport. “At the minute, he is England’s best batsman.
“At 29, you could argue his best years are still ahead of him.”
Article courtesy of BBC Sport
Source link
