Ten reasons why we love Ben Stokes…
Michael Atherton recently said Durham all-rounder Ben Stokes is arguably England’s most important player at the moment…he’s also pretty special.
The 25-year-old is one of those rare players that, when named in the XI, lifts his team-mates and strikes fears into his opponents.
Wonder catches, devastating innings and ferocious bowling spells are all in his armoury, with Durham chief executive David Harker saying he is ‘one of the finest players in world cricket’.
Stokes has committed his future to Durham by signing a new one-year contract extension, and England coach Trevor Bayliss will surely agree with Harker’s assessment that he is ‘approaching the prime years of his career’.
Already a fans’ favourite, he forged his place in England folklore with a brutal career-best 258 against South Africa in Cape Town at the start of 2016.
And here are 10 more reasons to love the New Zealand-born superstar:
He loves to win…
He hurts as much as we do when England lose…
He’s a bit of a wind-up merchant…
But he revels in the thrill of the battle with bowlers…
He doesn’t just hit the ball – he bashes it…
And he’s pretty athletic in the field too…
He shines in the shorter forms – but is a proper Test cricketer…
He’s pretty cool…
But can also play the fool…
Finally, he knows how to work the crowd…
