Stuart Broad and Ben Stokes are England's "caged tigers", says Graham Thorpe

GEORGE DOBELL: Thorpe feels the pair add a competitive edge to a somewhat jaded England side and are itching to make their mark in a series which has, until now, pretty much passed them by

England have a couple of “caged tigers” ready to be unleashed in the fourth Test in Sydney, according to Graham Thorpe.

Thorpe, the stand-in head coach, has recalled Stuart Broad for the match. And, alongside Ben Stokes, Thorpe feels the pair add a competitive edge to a somewhat jaded England side and are itching to make their mark in a series which has, until now, pretty much passed them by.

Broad has played only one Test in the series and used his column in the Mail on Sunday to express his frustration with the situation.

“As a wobble-seam bowler,” he wrote, “I feel as though I missed out on two of the best wobble-seam pitches in Australia. Only playing once has made this a very disappointing trip, one that has not met my personal expectations.

“The biggest frustration is losing the Ashes, being 3-0 down and feeling like I've not really done anything. Not being able, as an experienced player, to influence a series while it's live is tough.”

^{Stuart Broad is back in the England Test team at Sydney}

Stokes, meanwhile, has played in all three Tests. But, coming into them having had a lengthy break from the game due to a combination of physical and mental challenges, he has struggled to make the impact he would have liked.

His four wickets have come at a cost of 62.25 apiece (and an economy-rate of more than five-an-over), while he has a top score of 34 with the bat and is averaging just 16.83.

As a result, both men, with impressive records in the Ashes over the longer term, are desperate to make their mark on the series. 

“I hope I’ve a couple of caged tigers coming into this match,” Thorpe said. “Ben being one and Stuart Broad another. That’s my way of framing it. Seeing them in training, that’s what I’m seeing.

“They are guys who want to put in a performance. And they’ll want to put in a performance for themselves and the team. I want them to be able to perform to the best of their ability. To have that fight and competitiveness is going to be very important this week.”

Broad comes into the team in place of Ollie Robinson. Both Robinson and Chris Woakes are said by Thorpe to be suffering from “shoulder niggles” so it was decided not to risk them.

Robinson, who is England’s top wicket-taker in the series (he has nine at 26.00 apiece), has looked just a little weary since Australia kept them in the field under the hot Adelaide sun for 150 overs. With Woakes unavailable, too, it leaves England with a long tail. Mark Wood is expected to bat at No.8 with Jack Leach at No.9. 

Thorpe confirmed the selection discussions were discussed with Chris Silverwood, the head coach who is currently isolating in Melbourne having contracted Covid, but ultimately he and Joe Root took the decisions. 

“I’ve been in contact with Spoons [Silverwood] throughout and regarding the selection of the team as well,” Thorpe said.

Graham Thorpe has been impressed with Ben Stokes, right, in training

“He’s been kept in the loop. But myself and Joe, being on the ground, have been able to assess the surface and our bowlers and it felt like a risk to go into it with a couple of lads carrying niggles. So it was right to bring Stuart back in.”

While Thorpe accepts that England have endured “distractions” off the field, he also feels they are “up for this match” at the SCG.

"There’s obviously been distractions off the field,” Thorpe said.

“There’s no doubt about that. Preparation has been tough. In an ideal world, you have matches coming into it. You play some state games. You get to have a good look at your own team coming into the series. That hasn’t happened.

“Obviously we’ve had the distraction of Covid off the field, too, which has been challenging to say the least. Not knowing if you’re going to be moving on to the next venue. Or if your family is going to be in a hotel room for 7-10 days.

"The constant testing, day in day out, is a distraction. I’d like to think we could find a better way around it in future. A lot of our players have been in these conditions and this environment for a while. Looking after their mental state of mind is very important as well.

“But at the end of the day, we also know we’ve not played good enough cricket when we’ve been out in the middle, either. But we’ve an opportunity this week - at a great cricket ground - to put in a really good performance. Getting people in the right frame of mind and being excited for the game is very important.

“I encourage the players to keep their belief. You can get knocked down sometimes in life. But you do have to get back up. You have to clear your head, keep that belief, look at what you do well and try to go out in the next game and perform.

“There is an opportunity this week for our team and our players as individuals. Some are trying to establish themselves. That’s an opportunity. Some are trying to stay in the team. That’s also an opportunity. I feel they’re in a good place. I feel they’re up for this match.”

England: Z Crawley, H Hameed, D Malan, J Root*, B Stokes, J Bairstow, J Buttler+, M Wood, J Leach, S Broad, J Anderson