India v England: Roots England T20 safely places even though Stokes returns | Cricket News

BIRMINGHAM: Joe Root will retain his place alongside England for next week's internationals against India, even though Ben Stokes returns to the team, according to Paul Farbrace .

Stokes is expected to return from a hamstring injury that he suffered during the second Test against Pakistan in June while he plays for Durham in his Twenty20 match against Yorkshire at Headingley on July 5th.

This match will see Stokes play as drummer only, with a view to being available for the third and last T20 against India in Bristol on July 8th.

England is in a great white ball form, with its 28-point win over Australia in a stand-alone T20 at Edgbaston on Wednesday after a five-day white shutout of their rivals.

Alex Hales was often mentioned as the man most likely to give way to Root, but the Nottinghamshire drummer was in the third rank.

Farbrace still believes, however, there is a place in all international formats for the more stable Root test captain, including the Twenty20 team.

"Absolutely, you need your best drummer," Farbrace insisted. "I can not believe that anyone else in our organization would oppose that."

Farbrace added: "He (Root) is world-clbad in all forms of the game. You need us, and you need people who play in different ways.

"There will be moments when he is the player par excellence in a game T20 and we pbad the line.

"The best players fit and score runs, whether it's 20 overs or 50 overs or test match cricket, and he is without a doubt one of the best players in the world.

"It could go from three to six years – and it's nice to have that flexibility and that cold, calm head."

Meanwhile, Farbrace, who is standing while head coach Trevor Bayliss takes a break, looks forward to having Stokes saying, "Well – the fact that it's a three-in-one, he can bowl and he's the best fielder – you'll bring him back as soon as he's available. "

Jos Buttler was promoted to open against Australia on Wednesday and responded with the fastest Twenty20 Fifty of England, on 22 balls.

Hales was not outdone in doing 49 and Farbrace said, "Jos played beautifully well … (but) you could easily argue that a few others might have tried – and maybe Halesy has market to the fold with a bit of a point to prove. "

Eoin Morgan, the captain of England, should have the last word on the absence of Stokes.

"You go every time go with the captain because he is taking the team to the field," Farbrace said.

"There will be no violent disagreements, but we are discussing possibilities – and this is not obvious."