AUS vs ENG: "At Some Point Someone’s Going To Pay A Price, And Hopefully That's Australia"- Matthew Mott Backs Ben Stokes To Deliver Against Arch-Rivals

Ben Stokes has done well for England in both Tests and One-Day Internationals. But 39 games into his T20 international career, he still has the aura of a player still figuring out his optimum position: his batting average is just 18.6, and he has yet to reach the half-century mark.

Ben Stokes’ selection for the World Cup was always seen by England to be a validation of sheer skill above statistical data.

The England white-ball coach, Matthew Mott, is confident that Ben Stokes will improve following a shaky start in Australia. When Stokes swings the bat, “someone’s going to pay a price,” according to Mott, and he expressed the hope that this would happen against Australia in England’s critical Super 12 Group 1 T20 World Cup match on Friday in Melbourne. 

Matthew Mott Feels It’s About Time Ben Stokes Come Backs To Form

“I think he’s bowled some big overs, particularly in the Powerplay,” Mott said. “With the bat, he hasn’t come off yet. But his career would suggest that at some point someone’s going to pay a price, and hopefully that’s Australia.” 

In the two T20Is Ben Stokes played against Australia in Perth and Canberra earlier this month, he only managed to score 9 and 7. He managed only 2 and 6 runs in England’s T20 World Cup matches against Afghanistan and Ireland, after scoring several runs in the subsequent double warm-up matches against Australia and Pakistan. 

After the startling five-run loss to Ireland on Wednesday at the Melbourne Cricket Ground due to rain, England is in trouble and now faces larger opponents in Australia, New Zealand, and Sri Lanka in games that must be won. 

We Are Incredibly Motivated: Matthew Mott

After seven years of coaching Australia’s women’s team, Mott joined England as their white-ball coach in May. He said that the team was fired up for their match on Friday against their longtime foes. 

“We’re playing against the host, the defending champions, so there’s no need for us as a coaching group to motivate the group,” Mott said. “We’re incredibly motivated and (the Ireland result) just adds to that motivation. 

“You very rarely go through these tournaments undefeated, so I expect us to bounce back really well.”

According to Mott, the Ireland loss did not put England under pressure to significantly alter their starting lineup for the Australia encounter. 

“I think we played really solid cricket for the last month. We had a bad day (against Ireland), we’re not going to throw the baby out with the bathwater.” 

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