PUNE: England all-rounder Ben Stokes is confident that their 0-4 drubbing in the five-Test series will have no bearing on the limited overs series commencing here with the first ODI on January 15.
“It is a completely different format, different teams. We can’t really look back on the Test series and take it into this one-day series with us. The Test series did not go well for us and we have a chance to come out here and perform well, like we know,” said Stokes ahead of the opening game of the best-of-three 50-over contest.
“We have done in the last two years against really good teams. We know it is going to be tough. We are full of excitement, full of confidence. We are looking forward to it,” he added. Virat Kohli, the scourge of England right through the Test series as captain and key batsman, has now taken over the reins of the limited over team too with the stepping down of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, but Stokes feels his team will not focus on the rival team, but on themselves. “We will try our best to get him out. He has been in major form, has been over the last year and a half. We try to not concentrate on the other team too much. We concentrate on what we do. “The focus is always based on our performance and if someone does well, fair enough, than overload ourselves on too much information about him. We solely concentrate on how we go about winning.” Asked whether Dhoni, without the burden of leading the side, would be more dangerous, Stokes said,”I don’t know have to wait and see. From watching him, don’t think captaincy affected him much. A pretty calm and cool character.” Stokes has seen and heard a lot about the Indian Premier league and wants to be a part of it to experience it first-hand and was willing to return to England whenever required. “I have put myself up for the auction. It is a good opportunity to go away experience a different competition. I won’t say we weren’t lucky in terms of the English summer, in terms of it s quite hard to get away and go and experience what it is like to play in these T20 leagues. “This year’s IPL is a chance not just for myself but to a few other English guys to go and experience what it is like and get a different side of T20 cricket rather than just playing in England. I am looking forward to seeing, if I get a chance. “You end up playing against the best players in the world, although it is T20 cricket. Look at the guys who have played in franchise cricket in Australia and India as well. “They have said it was really good and how much it helped them in terms of cricket, the guys they get to work with, not just players but coaches as well. They have all said they have become better players in doing that. It will do a world of good.” “(But) I am an England player. The decision will be made on what has happened and I will go with whatever is best for English guys, come back whenever they want us to represent England,” he concluded.—PTI
