Debasis Sen in London
Former England all-rounder Derek Pringle believes that England will keenly feel the absence of Ben Stokes in the fifth and final Test against India, which began at The Oval, on Thursday, July 31. The 66-year-old Kenya-born cricketer-turned-journalist said Stokes has been England’s standout bowler throughout the series. Pringle, fondly remembered for his economical spell of 3 for 22 in the 1992 World Cup final, shared his thoughts in an exclusive interview with Revsportz.
Here are the excerpts from the conversation:
Has this Indian team without Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma surprised you, especially with Shubman Gill scoring over 700 runs in this series and leading from the front?
Derek Pringle: Well, he was an unknown quantity as captain, but we’ve always known he’s a very fine batter. It’s interesting—many players, when given leadership responsibility, actually improve their game. Mike Atherton, Graham Gooch—they both batted better as captains until the job wore them down. Gill has just started, so he’s likely inspired by the appointment, and that’s rubbed off on his batting.
How do you see the young Indian team without Rohit and Kohli in this ongoing series?
Derek Pringle: Well, obviously, to lose two great batsmen like that is tough. But it’s also a challenge. The thing about cricket in India is that you’ve got so many good players from all around the country, that they see it as a challenge to fill their boots. I think they’ve got plenty of talent. Of course, experience and a bit of stardust are required—both Kohli and Sharma had that. They were fantastic batters. But India will always produce great batters.
As an all-rounder, how highly do you rate Stokes? With him missing this final Test, how big a blow is it for England?
Derek Pringle: Massive. But I assume they’ve decided it’s not worth the risk because he’s likely not fit to bowl. And that’s a big problem—he’s been England’s best bowler in this series. It’s probably better mentally for the side to know he’s not playing than to have him in a half role. They’ll miss him greatly—he’s been phenomenal.
India also might miss Jasprit Bumrah. Who is the bigger loss—Stokes for England or Bumrah for India?
Derek Pringle: After the first Test, I’d have said Bumrah—he was fantastic. But based on the last Test and Stokes’s performance there, I’d say Ben Stokes is a bigger blow for England.
Considering the prevailing conditions in England, what are shortcomings of the Indian bowling line-up? Would you have played Kuldeep in any of the Tests?
Derek Pringle: These conditions have been interesting. The pitches have been more like the ones you find in Asia due to a very dry summer. They haven’t behaved like English pitches normally do. There’s been a little movement but not much. It’s been hard work for the bowlers. Most pitches now use loam soil, so they don’t break up for spinners, and the seamers don’t get much movement either. So, yes, it’s been tough. I would have liked to see Kuldeep play—maybe at Old Trafford, even earlier in the series. I think he’s a fabulous bowler. But I’m not an Indian selector—they have their reasons, presumably.
You made your debut against India in 1982 and played six of your 30 Tests against them. You also toured India as a journalist. So, what has been the biggest change in Indian cricket?
Derek Pringle: I think the biggest change has been the pace attack. Kapil Dev was always a very fine pace bowler, but now India has a very good pace attack overall. Especially if Mohammed Shami had been fit—Jasprit Bumrah, arguably the best fast bowler in the world today. That’s allowed India to be more competitive overseas.
Tell us about your collection of LPs. When did you start collecting? Which are your most prized ones?
Derek Pringle: I went to an English boarding school, and in the ‘70s, there wasn’t much to do in the evenings except listen to records. That’s where my love of vinyl started. I’ve got a collection of several thousand. My most prized one at the moment is Nick Drake’s first album Five Leaves Left. It’s very hard to find an original copy.
You played in a time when even 300 runs in a day was rare. How has T20 changed Test cricket? For better or worse?
Derek Pringle: West Indies used to score 300 quite regularly, to be fair. But the game has changed. T20 has had the biggest impact. Batters now fear losing their wicket far less. In my time, the main goal was to not give your wicket away. Now they take more risks, so you get big scores but also quick collapses.
You took 3/22 and scored 18 not out in a World Cup final and still lost. How do you look back on that? Any regrets?
Derek Pringle: I just regret that Javed Miandad was given not out LBW to me—it was very plumb! But we had our chances. Pakistan played better in the final. That’s the nature of knockout cricket—you have to be at the top of your game at all times. We were just a little off.
You were highly rated as a stroke-player when you started out. What changed when you went on to play Test cricket?
Derek Pringle: Actually, it changed in county cricket. At university, I batted in the top five at Cambridge and the pitches were very good for batting. But in county cricket, the pitches moved a bit more. I had a run of low scores, and my captain told me I couldn’t dash it around like at university. I had to focus on defence. Maybe I went too far the other way—stopped playing shots I enjoyed and focused more on survival.
Any memories of growing up in East Africa?
Derek Pringle: Oh, yes, I learned my cricket there on matting pitches, like they used to do in India and Pakistan decades ago. Matting was the most common surface. There were some turf pitches, but not many. It teaches you to move the ball differently—you need to bowl cutters and other variations.
Finally, with India trailing 1–2, do you think they can win the final Test and level the series? Or is it England with the advantage?
Derek Pringle: I’ve not seen the pitch, but India won very well last time at The Oval. They quite like that ground—famous wins there, including Gavaskar’s innings back in the ‘70s. If the pitch is quick and bouncy, England might win. But the Oval can break up a bit at this time of the year, and that could bring India’s superior spinners into play.
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