It’s Jos that you don’t fit in

T20 cricket is the hardest format to predict but no one should be surprised by Ben Stokesrsquos big game success for England Stokes has an enviable record of performing his best when the stakes are highest Hersquos done it in crucial Tests and oneday matches and now hersquos achieved that remarkable feat in T20 cricketItrsquos no wonder England skipper Jos Buttler demanded his presence in the World Cup squad Typical Stokesmdashhe was biding his time in the round robin games until it came to the must win match against Sri LankaApart from taking an important catch and wicket Stokes then guided England to a semifinal clinching victory with a steady but crucial innings However he really rose to the occasion in the final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground MCG when he steadily piloted England towards the trophy with an innings of steely resolveThis was not the scintillating Stokes of his matchwinning knock at the 2019 Headingley Test or even the master batsman who helped England clinch their first 50 Over World Cup in the same year This was the sensible lefthander who sized up the occasion and did what was required to ensure England claimed another trophyHaving achieved wonders in his debut season as Test skipper despite playing some reckless innings this knock should convince Stokes that at times he needs to bat with a little more caution in the longer formatEngland needs Stokes playing well and contributing his best when it matters mostThe fact that Buttler pushed for Stokesrsquos presence in the T20 squad despite the allrounderrsquos rare appearances in the format speaks highly of the captainrsquos short form knowledge Buttler displays much T20 expertise and his oneonone sessions where he talked with England players about their role further enhanced those leadership qualitiesDespite Buttlerrsquos T20 success hersquos an enigma in Test cricket Hersquos a valuable T20 lsquokeeper in addition to being a matchwinning batsman but on recent form therersquos no place for him in the Test sideHersquos not a Test lsquokeeper and you canrsquot play him as a batsman because in addition to being unsure of himself hersquos a dubious proposition when there are slips in placeButtlerrsquos batting dilemma supports former Australian captain Mark Taylor who believes the short forms of the game unlike the Test version dictate how you play This is particularly so in T20 cricket where the game demands a sureminded batsman right from the off and this suits ButtlerUnfortunately for Stokes he canrsquot repay Buttlerrsquos confidence when leading the Test team As Englandrsquos biggest challenge will be making sure they pick their best Test side this option is not available to Stokes Their is no place in the Test team for an out of sorts ButtlerHowever the energetic Sam Curran is a player Stokes needs to consider for a Test berth in the right conditions Like Stokes himself Curran has a flair for producing the dramatic on big occasions and he harbours a stirring competitive desire allied with a strong success rate These are qualities that fit perfectly with the Stokesrsquos styleStokes also has to hope the injury bad luck that has haunted Englandrsquos faster bowlers ends during his captaincy reign The other major item on Stokesrsquo agenda is spin bowlingEngland needs to rethink its Test policy on spin and search for a bowler who can dismiss batsmen on good pitches In short form games spin bowlers can lure batsmen into committing cricketing suicide and itrsquos a valuable commodity However that is rarely viable in Tests and having a spinner play a holding role also has limited value in the longer gameStokes is evolving as a captain and has also produced enough magical performances in the heat of battle to be considered a miracle worker by his teammates This is an invaluable commodity for a captainBeing a smart cricketer Stokes can now advance his Test leadership by shrewdly assessing those aspects of a successful T20 World Cup campaign that attracted his attentionClayton Murzellorsquos Pavilion End column will be back next weekSend your feedback to mailbagmiddaycomThe views expressed in this column are the individualrsquos and donrsquot represent those of the paper