Nasser Hussain Urges Ben Stokes to Revive His Former Batting Style

Former England captain Nasser Hussain has emphasized the need for Ben Stokes to revert to his old batting approach in a recent episode of the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast. England's Test team, led by Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum, suffered a 4-1 loss in Australia, with their sole victory coming in a remarkable two-day Boxing Day Test in Melbourne. Stokes has acknowledged the past three months as the most challenging period of his captaincy but remains optimistic about the team's potential under the current leadership. However, the team has struggled to beat Australia or India in a five-match series since McCullum and Stokes took charge in 2022. Hussain, who captained England from 1999 to 2003, believes Stokes had a disappointing Ashes series but needs to focus on his own game and start scoring runs. He praises Stokes as a captain, citing his exceptional leadership skills, tactics, and man-management. Nevertheless, Hussain stresses that Stokes must regain his batting form, which has declined due to injuries, and provide clarity as a captain. The all-rounder is expected to miss the first month of the County Championship season with Durham as he recovers from facial surgery. England is currently seventh in the ICC World Test Championship standings, having suffered six defeats from ten outings, and will face New Zealand in their first Test series of the summer.