Ben Stokes has been a massive asset for the England team. His contribution with both, the bat as well as with the ball has been terrific for them. In Stokes, the England side has found an ideal all rounder. With his aggressive stroke play, he can take the game away from the opposition in no time. His batting is more than dependable and can be completely relied upon. His performance with the bat often gives England the competitive edge over other teams.
But more than anything else, it is his bowling which is his strength. Stokes bowls in the mid 130’s and is very accurate. He won’t viciously swing the ball like James Anderson neither will he be quick as Stuart Broad. He won’t get the steep bounce as Steve Finn as well. But what Stokes has in his armory is accuracy. Stokes is very accurate with his line and length and bowls like a genuine bowler. With the old ball, he gets a considerable amount of reverse swing. Stokes can fill in the overs for England and is a genuine fifth bowler. The most satisfying part about Stokes is that when he is bowling, the likes of Anderson or Broad can be rested.
The 23 year old all rounder made his test debut in the 2013/14 Ashes in Australia and was the only Englishman to make a positive mark on the tour. He was the only batsman in the squad who got to a ton. With the ball as well he was very good.
His performances in the ongoing England tour of the West Indies, have impressed Phil Simmons, the head coach of the West Indies. Simmons was in complete awe of Stokes and showered praises on the 23 year old. Simmons went on to say that he would always desire to have a player like Stokes in his side. But Simmons caught the eye, when he compared the young all rounder to South African legend Jacques Kallis.
Simmons said, “He’s in the mould of Jacques Kallis. He can take a game away with you with bat or ball. “He’s the glue that holds the England team together. His bowling allows Jimmy Anderson to come back fresh and that’s a big thing. He showed his quality in Australia. He took them on and he scored a hundred. I’ve been impressed with him since then. That’s the kind of cricketer you need.”
Another positive aspect about Stokes is that he is naturally very aggressive. Other than his all round displays it is his noteworthy aggression which keeps the England side hooked in the game. But, aggression is one policy which Stokes himself would want to keep in check. Getting over aggressive is the perfect recipe of self destruction.
Like Phil Simmons, Paul Farbrace, the assistant coach of England too was showering praises on Stokes. “He certainly is someone that the more he plays the better he’ll be, there’s no doubt about that,” Paul Farbrace. “At the moment I see him as a batsman who bowls. We want him to develop into a high quality allrounder. By playing him he’ll make the progression he needs and he needs to play. The more he plays the more he’ll understand international cricket.”
“It’s the same with Chris Jordan and Moeen. The more they play the more they’ll understand it and the more they will win games. “We all saw the progress Jordan and Stokes made by playing. Yes, they might be quite similar but there was good progression by playing them. Stokes has had one outstanding game and one tougher game. Jordan seems to be progressing all the time.
You would think that, if you were thinking of playing two spinners, they’re the most likely to miss out, but at the same time you want to keep progressing them and keep pushing them forward. We’re all seeing the progress that the two of them are making,” concluded Farbrace.
Comparing Stokes with Kallis is surely a big motivation for Stokes. But the hot headed English all rounder must also perform to back the praises.