There's a lot to like about Woakes, he's a Villa fan, plays for the Bears and is a very handy cricketer. But he's not a match winner like Ben Stokes is and he doesn't have the aura and the match winning spells that Stuart Broad does. Imho, if Stokes and Mark Wood had been available Woakes doesn't make the starting eleven.Hope I'm proved wrong ofcourse.
Woakes has a better strike rate, better economy and better average than Stokes or Wood and, after 18 tests, he's already bowled a few of those spells you're saying he's incapable of. He's not got the aggression of Stokes but he's every bit as important to our team.
CookStonemanVinceRootMalan BairstowMoeenWoakesAndersonBroadCraneThis would be my team........My choice of picking Crane is that both Overton/Ball have failed to impress in the warm up games and everytime Crane has played he has got wickets and the 4th choice seamer would only bowl about 10/15 overs in a day