Curtly Ambrose, speaking on the Sky Sports Cricket podcast, said that he wouldn’t relish bowling to Dom Sibley but would “love to” face Ben Stokes.
Sibley and Stokes, unbeaten on 86 and 59 respectively at stumps, combined to add 126 runs for England on day one of the Manchester Test against West Indies. Sibley held fort after Rory Burns and Zak Crawley departed cheaply, adding 52 runs with captain Joe Root before finishing the day strongly with Stokes, who came in for praise from Ambrose.
A fine day’s work from Dom Sibley 👏👏
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) July 16, 2020
“I have a lot of respect for Ben Stokes,” he said. “I have seen him play quite a bit and I think he is a fantastic cricketer. He can change the game with the bat or the ball or even in the field, I have seen him take some superb catches as well. He is a fantastic cricketer, and I believe that he is going to serve England cricket for many years.
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“Just to go back a little bit to the 2016 World Cup, when he was smashed for four sixes off Carlos Brathwaite, a lot of people thought that it would be the end of him, there’s no coming back from that. I remember saying in some interviews that this particular moment will make him a stronger person and a better cricketer. And I have a lot of respect for him, he is a wonderful cricketer. Yes, I would love to bowl against him because I prefer guys who take me on. It gives me a chance.”
Do you want Sibley to alter his approach on day two?https://t.co/GKdxqWiozf
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) July 17, 2020
The former West Indies pacer, however, said that he wouldn’t relish bowling to Sibley. “Guys like Dom Sibley for instance,” he explained, “who just stay there poke all day, I don’t like that kind of cricket. It frustrates me. I like guys to come after me. So I wouldn’t really relish bowling against Dom Sibley too much. Stokes, definitely.”
