The accolades have been pouring in for England all-rounder Ben Stokes since his superb player of the match display in the second Test again...
The accolades have been pouring in for England all-rounder Ben Stokes since his superb player of the match display in the second Test against the West Indies at Old Trafford.
England’s talisman went to the top of the Test all-rounder rankings after helping the hosts square the three-match series at 1-1 with two perfectly judged innings – a painstaking 176 and a rapid 78 not out – as well as three key wickets.
“Where would England be without him?,” former captain Michael Vaughan told William Hill.
“If you look at the last two years, every single England win you could argue that Ben Stokes played the pivotal role.”
Meanwhile James Anderson, England’s all-time leading Test wicket-taker, promptly hailed Stokes as the best all-rounder he’d played with, surpassing even 2005 Ashes hero Andrew Flintoff, heading into Friday’s decider with the West Indies.
Also read: From Garfield Sobers to Jacques Kallis, a look at the greatest all-rounders in Tests
But is it yet right to rank Stokes above Ian Botham, the man whose England wickets record Anderson broke and widely regarded as the country’s best all-rounder of the modern era?
Since the start of 2019, Stokes has averaged over 55 with the bat and under 29 with the ball in Test cricket.
The 29-year-old’s corresponding Test career...
