Saturday 13 October 2018 16:41, UK
Olly Stone should be handed an England central contract if he continues to impress over the winter, say former Essex wicketkeeper James Foster.
Click on the video above to hear more on how England batsman Dawid Malan and Foster believe the side should manage Stone going forward.
The 25-year-old impressed in his first outing with the ball - having been denied the chance to bowl on his debut as the first one-day international was rained off - and had opener Niroshan Dickwella caught behind to claim his first international scalp.
Foster believes Stone needs to be protected from a heavy workload if he is to maintain his pace and avoid injuries.
"If he does well this winter he has to be given on a central contract because it will be very tough for him if he is not," Foster said during his stint as a Sky Sports pundit for the second ODI between England and Sri Lanka.
"Going to Warwickshire and saying to (sport director) Ashley Giles 'do you mind if he plays two games, rests two games' etc, bearing in mind they are paying his wages.
"Ashley has been around a long time and will probably understand what the ECB need but to take that grey area out he needs to be on that central contract, so that England can use him as and when.
"Chris Silverwood, the England bowling coach, will be very excited in the changing room right now with what Stone can do. When he was at Essex we tried to sign Olly Stone - [Silverwood] gets excited by raw pace and he will be very protective of him."
England captain Eoin Morgan was also full of praise for Stone, adding that he believes the young seamer is in contention to make the squad for next year's World Cup.
Alongside Warwickshire team-mate Chris Woakes, Stone helped to dismantle the Sri Lanka top order, reducing them to 31-4 as he finished with figures of 1-23 from his six overs.
"Olly bowled exactly like he has in the nets and the warm-up and that's a really good sign; pace, got the ball moving, all done with a very calm head," Morgan said.
"I don't think you can disregard Olly from the World Cup based on today. The fact he bowls with the new ball gives him an extra string to his bow."
Watch the third ODI between Sri Lanka and England, in Pallekele, live on Sky Sports Cricket (channel 404) from 9.30am on Wednesday.
