Ben Stokes backed to stand and deliver ahead of World Cup clash against Australia

Speaking ahead of Friday’s seemingly must-win match against Australia in Melbourne, with England’s World Cup hopes hanging by a thread after their shock defeat to Ireland on Wednesday, Mott backed Stokes to put behind him a disappointing record in the 20-over format.

The England Test captain goes into the game on the back of two low scores at the World Cup so far - 6 against Ireland and 2 against Afghanistan. In the three warm-up matches against Australia, Stokes’s scores were 9, 7 and 17 not out.

Although a proven performer at first-class and one-day level, Stokes has never really cracked the 20-over format.

Remarkably, in 39 T20 internationals, he has not even managed a half-century (his highest score is 47 not out), and yet he is batting at No 4 in the current competition, with implications for those around him, such as Moeen Ali and Liam Livingstone, whose skills some believe are wasted lower down the list.

It’s a tough one for Mott and for England in general - this is Ben Stokes, after all, the hero of Headingley, the champion all-rounder - and amid few suggestions of a change in line-up or a rejig of batting order, the platitudes were predictably out in force as Mott mulled over Stokes’s situation.

“I think Ben’s an incredible player for our team and a real leader in our group,” said Mott, the Australian who was appointed head coach of England’s white-ball set-up last May.

“He’s been key for us. I think he’s bowled some big overs, particularly in the powerplay (Stokes claimed combined figures of 6.2-0-27-3 against Afghanistan and Ireland, and he has England’s best economy rate in the tournament of 4.26).

“He hasn’t come off with the bat yet, but his career would suggest at some point somebody is going to pay the price, and hopefully that’s Australia.

“He’s a world-class player, and in T20 you need match-winners, and he’s one.”

Stokes, in a nutshell, is being picked as much on potential and proven talismanic power than on his batting statistics in the 20-over game.

It would seem blasphemous to suggest leaving him out, as some indeed have; to do so might be to risk a lightning bolt from the cricketing gods, while his bowling and fielding have much to offer.

Similar murmurings surrounded Virat Kohli not so long ago, of course, and the old boy hasn’t done too badly for India at this World Cup – following his extraordinary 82 not out against Pakistan on Sunday with another unbeaten effort of 62 against the Netherlands on Thursday.

The comparison is not entirely identical, or perhaps even partly so, but the underlying principle holds firm in that one writes off players like Stokes and Kohli at one’s peril.

It is not just Stokes, however, who will need to step up if England are to fulfil their status as one of the World Cup favourites.

Only one of their batsmen (Dawid Malan) averages over 13 after the first two games, while there are growing concerns around Adil Rashid, who has gone wicket-less now in his last four T20 matches, including the warm-ups.

If England had a wish list going into Friday’s encounter, it would perhaps be for runs from the bats of Stokes, Jos Buttler and Alex Hales, in particular, and wickets for Rashid, the 34-year-old Yorkshireman.

It would be difficult to envisage England winning the competition without strong contributions from most, if not all, of those players.

Not that Mott has the air of a man concerned as he backed his side, collectively, to hit back strongly.

A win would change the picture considerably and get England’s challenge back on track.

“The intent was there (against Ireland),” he reflected. “We just didn’t hit the ball very well.

"I think we’ve played really solid cricket over the last month.

“We had a bad day, but we’re not going to throw the baby out with the bathwater.” (baby breathes big sigh of relief).

Australia also need a win after losing their opening match to New Zealand before bouncing back with a victory against Sri Lanka.

It promises to be a bittersweet match for the Queensland-born Mott, who had great success with Australia’s women during seven years at the helm.

“I don’t need any motivation,” he clarified.

“I’ve got a lot of friends in that (Australia men’s) group, both in the playing group and the staff, but as you find in cricket you love the one you’re with. Being part of this group is very special to me.

“We’re incredibly motivated and it (the Ireland result) just adds to that motivation.

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

Over to you, Stokes and co.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​