"There's no point in us turning up with four 80-mile-an-hour bowlers because that Kookaburra ball, after 10 overs, is going to get smashed to all parts at that pace," the former England all-rounder said. running homme The wicketkeeper was confirmed as skipper of a 15-strong squad this week but just 48 hours later gave a press conference in Hobart, admitting "a private text exchange" with a former colleague at Cricket Tasmania. running homme "First and foremost, I never thought he wouldn't be there," said Botham, who is chairman of Stokes' county, Durham. "And that's not inside information, because we didn't see him at Durham until after the second operation. running homme The 30-year-old scored a stunning unbeaten 135 - a knock Hussain called "one of the greatest innings I have ever seen by any cricketer in Test match cricket" - as England won the 2019 Ashes Test at Headingley by one wicket. running homme