Is Ben Stokes the greatest modern-day all-rounder?
An all-rounder is always an important and tricky spot in any team. From Imran Khan, Kapil Dev, and Richard Hadlee to Ian Botham, Jacques Kallis, and Andrew Flintoff, the game has been blessed with many in the years gone by and is certainly not short in the current era either.
One such prodigious all-rounder is Ben Stokes from England. One day he would be slapped for four sixes in a row in the last over to let his team down in a T20 World Cup final, the other day he would play a match-winning knock to take his team to glory in a World Cup final. One could like him, dislike him, but certainly cannot ignore him.
? On his birthday, watch Ben Stokes’ ? 98-ball 84* from the epic 2019 ICC Men’s @cricketworldcup final ? pic.twitter.com/VOzpUmay38
— ICC (@ICC) June 4, 2020
Given his marvellous exploits with both bat and ball, he has established himself with enough force to be compared with the likes of legendary Sir Ian Botham and Andrew Flintoff. Moreover, his performance in the Ashes over the years has been considered to be an equivalent of Botham and Flintoff.
Also read: Ben Stokes – 135 not out: A knock for the Ashes
This all is not meant to say that he has a lack of competition in the current era. From Ravindra Jadeja and Hardik Pandya to Shakib-al-Hasan and Jason Holder, there are enough contenders for the fight, however, not many manage to come close.
The numbers game
Stokes’ numbers are phenomenal. In 67 Tests, he has 4428 runs at an average of 37.84 with 10 centuries and 22 half-centuries. With the ball, he has bagged 158 wickets at an average of 31.40 and 4 fifers to his name. In 2020, he became the second player from England to complete the double of 4,000 runs and 100 wickets in Test cricket, after Botham.
His incredibility is not limited to the longest format. Stokes has 2682 runs at an average of 40.63 and a strike rate of 93.94 with 3 centuries and 20 half-centuries in 95 ODIs. With the ball, he has 70 scalps at an average and strike rate of 41.71 and 41.40 respectively. His work with the bat and ball aside, there is always a moment of fielding brilliance on offer whenever Stokes is running around.
England’s saviour
His unbeaten 84 in the final clash of World Cup 2019; the incredible 135* at Headingley to eventually win an insanely impossible Test against Australia; the 258 at Cape Town against South Africa, are only a few examples to tell how well and how many times he has been England’s saviour.
#OnThisDay last year, Ben Stokes did ???? at Headingley ?
Is it England’s greatest heist in Test cricket?pic.twitter.com/0oVNeQZMh3
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) August 25, 2020
In the last two years (Aug 2018-20), he has shone brighter than ever before. In 23 Tests in the said period, Stokes has 1750 runs- more than any other English batsman- at 44.87 and 52 wickets- second to only Stuart Broad’s 73- at an average of 22.84.
Conclusion
Stokes is just 29 and given his standard of fitness, he surely has many years of cricket left in him. He has already stamped his name amongst the legends of the game and if not a legend already, he is one in the making for sure. To term him the best all-rounder of the modern-day will certainly not be an overstatement.
