England announced a squad of 12 for the opening Test match of their series against New Zealand yesterday (June 2), including the news that Stokes would move down to No.7. Stokes has batted only 17 times at No.7 across his 216-innings career, compared to 131 times at No.6. However, his returns with the bat have significantly declined over the last two years. Since the end of the 2023 Ashes, he has averaged 28.17 from 23 matches, with one century and seven half centuries.

Speaking on Wisden Cricket Weekly podcast, Butcher questioned whether the move could point to a new role with the ball for Stokes. "I wonder whether that’s a move because Stokes has decided, I’m our best bowler, I’m going to take the new ball, which would not be the maddest thing in the world at all," said Butcher. "That to me is a viable and valid option as far as the guys we’ve got."

'Why does he need to drop down to seven?'

Stokes has only taken the new ball twice in his Test match career, and never on home soil. He took four wickets against India in Ahmedabad opening the bowling in 2024, and also in the fourth innings against Pakistan in Rawalpindi in 2022. Nevertheless, Butcher questioned the need for Stokes to move down a position in the batting order if the plan is for him to take the new ball.

"I’m thinking a very long way back to the eighties when Beefy (Ian Botham) bestrode the earth, and quite often he would bat five and open the bowling in the Test team," said Butcher. "He was in the thick of everything. Always. I would rather see Ben at six and get back to his very best with the bat.

"When he is playing well, in terms of skill and in terms of temperament, he provides a perfect ballast to the more dashing players around the order. You’ve got [Joe] Root who will play at a regular tempo, we don’t know what Emilio Gay is going to do, so Root at No.4 playing a regular Test match tempo, Stokes at six playing a regular Test match tempo but able to up it when he’s at his best, and then [Jamie] Smith at seven in the Gilchrist role which he’s performed so well, Ashes aside, in Test matches at home.

"This is why the theory about him opening the bowling pops up, it’s more likely to happen if [Sonny] Baker plays obviously, but also why does he need to drop down to seven? I don’t understand it, unless there is another role that he’s decided to take on instead, like taking the new ball."

'I'm not slagging off Jofra Archer, I'm just in disbelief'

Butcher also reiterated his 'disbelief' that Jofra Archer had not been picked for the Lord's Test. Archer played for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL, leaving the competition after they were knocked out in the qualifier. Speaking to BBC Sport yesterday, Brendon McCullum said: "Jofra we need to assess. He’s having a little bit of a break at the moment. We’ve seen in the past we can leave Jof to his own devices, work on his game and follow a plan that has been set. He turns up having followed that plan to a T. When we see him we’ll work out where he sits, and if he’s available for the second Test. If not, we'll look at the third Test."

Butcher highlighted the little Test cricket Archer could play this summer if he isn't picked for the second Test either. "I do not understand why you would have an asset that you pay an enormous amount of money to, and you’re not expecting them to show up and be 12th man, I just don’t get it," said Butcher. "I’m baffled, and I also wish I was playing now. I can’t understand it. I can’t understand how there is a justification for [it].

"My point is I’m not slagging off Jofra Archer, I’m just in disbelief. There’s only six Test matches in the summer, if you don’t play the first two then there’s four left."

England will begin the first Test of the series against New Zealand on Thursday at Lord's, with the second Test due to start on July 17 at The Oval. The final Test of the series will begin on June 25 at Trent Bridge.

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