T20 World Cup: Ben Stokes’ redemption story | Cricket News
MELBOURNE: Ben Stokes has been the beating coronary heart of England’s white-ball revolution but it surely wasn’t that approach six years in the past on the Eden Garden, in one other T20 World Cup last.
When Stokes will get a second alone with himself after England’s promised ‘wild celebrations’ on Sunday evening, his ideas will little doubt take him to a reputation individuals nonetheless keep in mind: Carlos Brathwaite.
That time, it wasn’t Stokes’s day. He had the ball in hand within the final over, with West Indies needing an unbelievable 19 off six. Brathwaite hit Stokes for 4 consecutive sixes to seal the deal, the bottom level within the profession of considered one of England’s post-modern cricketing giants.
Stokes, arguably, bowled poorly that evening, ostensibly as a result of the event received to him, beginning out with a half volley on leg stump. By the tip of the onslaught he regarded dazed and shell-shocked.
That shellacking, nevertheless, spurred him on to better heights, and now he has common two of England’s largest white-ball World Cup triumphs with the bat as an alternative: the 2019 ODI World Cup last towards New Zealand at Lord’s and Sunday’s torrid affair on the MCG, the place he stood agency to attain 52 not out in a small chase made tough by Pakistan‘s tempo battery.
In guiding England dwelling, Stokes confirmed he’s now the cricketing world’s biggest champion underneath stress. And oh, he bowled the opening over towards Pakistan on Sunday, not on the dying!
His captain Jos Buttler, who now has proven with this win that he’s his personal man and never somebody merely following the Eoin Morgan template, had excessive reward for Stokes.
“He’s a true match-winner, and he has been in these scenarios time and time again. He just has a lot of know-how for how to do that. He probably didn’t time the ball as well as he can, but you knew he was going to stand up and be there at the end,” Buttler mentioned. Eoin Morgan had known as Stokes “superhuman” after the 2019 win, however Buttler was extra measured. “We are immensely lucky to have him, and he’s one of the great players of English cricket.”
Buttler had a wry smile on his face when discuss of 2016 and the Eden Gardens got here up. “Yeah, it’s an amazing story, isn’t it,” he mentioned.
“Shame he did his documentary a year early! He’s been on an amazing journey. I’ll always remember his words to Jofra (Archer) about how things don’t define you. He’s obviously never let that 2016 final push him back. What he’s gone on to achieve in his career since then is just amazing. He always stands up in the biggest moments. He can take a lot of pressure on his shoulders now. With him in the middle, you know you have a good chance.”
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So is Ben Stokes England’s biggest cricketer of all time? “He can be in the conversation, for sure,” Buttler mentioned.
No marvel the very first thing Stokes spoke about after England’s five-wicket win on the MCG was, “The best teams learn from their mistakes and don’t let it affect them.” He was speaking in regards to the group’s defeat to Ireland earlier within the match, after all, however he could as effectively have been excited about himself up to now