Is Ben Stokes the best All-Rounder of this Era?
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Is there anything Ben Stokes cannot do on a cricket field?
Benjamin Andrew Stokes, famously known as Ben Stokes is one of the best all rounders the world has ever seen. He is currently the vice captain of the English team. He has amazed the world with his skills. Also, he has got a great fielding ability. He has made everyone stunned with his knocks and has also played a vital role as a part of the team.
He is already a national hero in England following his 2019 World Cup heroics. He is currently the No.1 All Rounder and No.3 Batsman in ICC Test Rankings.
With 4,399 test runs to his name and 156 test wickets, Stokes has already eclipsed Flintoff’s test runs total and is quickly closing in on his test wickets of 226. However, he still has a long way to go if he wants to surpass Ian Botham Test stats of 5,200 runs and 383 wickets.
How Criticism inspired Ben Stokes
Following his involvement in a street brawl in Bristol outside a nightclub, Stokes was suspended from the 2017-18 Ashes series. Later, he was acquitted of all charges. However, after this incident he lost his sponsorship deal with New Balance and vice captaincy of the English cricket team. He was heavily criticised by the media resulting in bad publicity.
This incident could have ended his career which led to him changing his lifestyle. Now, he no longer goes out for long nights and drinks. The change in lifestyle worked for him.
England's World Cup Victory
The hero of 2019 World Cup final was Ben Stokes. This was English cricket's greatest achievement when they won the World Cup against New Zealand in 2019. It was one of the greatest and most dramatic matches in cricket history. Although England won the match due to having more boundaries in the match. Many fans across the world believe New Zealand deserved the World Cup more than England but none of us can deny the gem that Ben Stokes played in that final.
Stokes was named the Player of the Match and England won the World Cup for the first time in cricket history.
The Ashes Heroics
2019 was the year of Ben Stokes. The third Ashes test match against Australia at Headingley Cricket Ground will go down in history as one of the greatest ever test matches as England chased down a record 359 runs in order to win the test match. Again, Ben Stokes took England over the line and scored 135* in an innings that will be remembered for a long period of time all around the world. Although, Australia retained the Ashes nobody can forget the heroic knock of Ben Stokes.
Awards
In December 2019, Ben Stokes won the BBC Sports Personality of the year. Also, the Queen of England then honoured Ben Stokes with an OBE for his services to cricket.
Stokes, who is just 29 years old has inspired millions of people with his achievements.
West Indies tour of England
In 2020, Ben Stokes again showed the world why he is the best all rounder in the world. He was the highest run getter of the series with 363 runs and 9 wickets.
Although, England lost the 1st match in which Ben Stokes played as a captain due to absence of Joe Root. His heroics again kept the series alive. England won the test because of Stokes. In the first innings he scored 176 in 356 balls and in 2nd innings he scored 78 runs in 57 balls.
Is there any situation where Stokes is not England's best option?
For me Stokes is England's man for every situation whether it is to bat long or to score quick runs.
How Can Stokes Leave a Larger Legacy than Flintoff and Botham?
Ben Stokes has achieved what Flintoff and Botham were not able to achieve i.e. winning a World Cup. In order to further add to his legacy, Stokes has to play a major role for England in upcoming Ashes. As Ashes is one of the most important part of a English cricketer.
Do you think Ben Stokes will become the Best all rounder in cricket history?
Yes he is the greatest
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