Tag: Ben Stokes

Unwell Ben Stokes misses training ahead of Headingley Test

Posted on by A Sports

LEEDS: England’s newly-appointed Test captain Ben Stokes has missed his side’s scheduled training session ahead of the third Test of the series against New Zealand.

Stokes has not yet joined the team in Leeds after becoming ill over the weekend while at home in Cockermouth.

According to an England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) spokesperson, Stokes had returned a negative result from a Covid test taken on Tuesday morning.

The skipper, however, is being kept away from the squad as a precautionary measure.

It is pertinent to mention here that the ECB did not appoint Stokes’ deputy and will be needed to name an interim captain if the all-rounder does not recover in time.

READ: Cricket Australia’s Amazon documentary to feature historic Pakistan Tour 

Bairstow, Stokes’ heroics help England pull off dramatic chase on final day

Posted on by A Sports

NOTTINGHAM: Jonny Bairstow slammed a match-winning knock of 136 runs off 92 balls coupled with England skipper Ben Stokes’ unbeaten 75 off 70 balls helped England to a remarkable five-wicket win against New Zealand in the second Test on Tuesday, clinching the Test series 2-0.

Bairstow displayed a phenomenal show of power hitting in red-ball cricket as he took only 77 balls to reach the ninth century of his career helping his team to claim the highest-ever target of 299 runs at Trent Bridge.

England chased down the historic target in just 50 overs at an astonishing run rate of around six per over.

The crowd showed in numbers to witness the thrilling final day and were not disappointed by Bairstow and the skipper Stokes, who rained boundaries.

Bairstow smashed 7 gigantic sixes and 14 fours in his glittering knock, while, Stokes hit 10 fours and four sixes to take his side home.

New Zealand were bowled out at 284 before Lunch after they resumed the second inning from 224/7 on the final day.

England, on the other hand, went through a dismal start losing the first wicket in the second over as opener Zak Crawley was dismissed on a duck by Trent Boult in his first over.

England continued to move towards the target while losing wickets at regular intervals and lost 4 wickets at 93 before Tea. England’s top scorer of the first inning, Joe Root, fell cheaply facing just four balls, caught and bowled by Boult.

The final session was dominated by England thanks to the blistering knocks by Bairstow and Stokes, who completely stormed through the New Zealand bowling. Bairstow only left the crease after setting his side in a comfortable position.

Boult starred with the ball for New Zealand but his three wickets went in vain as the Kiwi bowlers leaked too many runs and looked helpless in front of England’s forceful attack with the bat.

England now have an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match Test series against the touring side. England won the first Test at Lord’s by five wickets.

READ: Serena Williams given singles wildcard to play Wimbledon

Stokes terms Foakes ‘world-class’ wicketkeeper amid talks of Buttler return

Posted on by A Sports

LONDON: England’s Test captain Ben Stokes termed the wicketkeeper batter Ben Foakes ‘world-class’ following his match-winning partnership with Joe Root in the recently-concluded Lord’s Test.

Foakes, who made his return to the side after a dismal show by the English team in the Ashes, had been uncertain about his spot in the team as the 29-years-old failed to make an impact with his bat.

In the recently-concluded Lord’s Test, however, Foakes somehow justified his selection as he displayed his potential and made a crucial contribution with the bat by putting put on an unbeaten 120-run partnership with Root.

The English captain Stokes, was full of praises for his wicketkeeper batter’s performance while terming him the best in the world.

“We’re not in the position to not select world-class players at the moment,” Stokes said. “Ben is the best wicketkeeper in the world.

“That’s not just my own opinion, that’s a lot of people’s opinions. Batting at seven, which he does for England, is different from the role that he plays for Surrey because he bats higher up,” Stokes maintained.

The all-rounder further praised Foakes’ brilliance behind the wicket and claimed his presence gives a lot of confidence to him and the bowlers.

“To have a gloveman like Ben behind the stumps gives me a lot of confidence, and it gives the bowlers a lot of confidence, knowing that nine times out of 10, he’s going to take everything that comes to him,” Stokes claimed.

“He’s only going to get better with the more confidence that he gets, and as I said, he’s the best keeper in the world and it’s great to have him behind the stumps,” he concluded.

READ: Rafael Nadal rises in the latest ATP Rankings after French Open triumph

Ben Stokes appointed as England’s Test captain

Posted on by Zahid Noor

LONDON: England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has appointed the all-rounder Ben Stokes as the new Test captain, international media reported.

Stokes, who was considered the strongest contender for the Test captaincy – after Joe Root resigned from his position – has been appointed as England’s new Test captain.

On this occasion, the newly appointed managing director of ECB Rob Key talked to the media and said that time is right for Stokes.

“I think the time is right for Ben actually, Joe Root’s resignation from the position let the way for Ben to do it. He’s been a leader in that dressing room for a long long time and people turn to him and follow him along with Root when he was doing it,” Key said.

“He’ll be a strong leader. I think he’s got a good cricketing brain, everything he’s done has got him to this point and he’s got a lot of empathy as well, he’s one of those great cricketers who cares about the people around him. He understands why people struggle,” he added.

It is pertinent to mention here that the all-rounder Stokes agreed to captain England in Tests, following his face to face meeting with ECB’s newly appointed director Key, English newspaper The Telegraph reported.

Furthermore, Stokes also wants the veteran pacers James Anderson and Stuart Broad to make their comeback into the side.

READ: Stokes accepts captaincy, wants Anderson, Broad back: English Media

Stokes accepts captaincy, wants Anderson, Broad back: English Media

Posted on by A Sports

LONDON: England’s world cup winning all-rounder Ben Stokes has agreed to captain the Test side after his meeting with the new director of England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) – Rob Key, a local newspaper ‘The Telegraph’ reported.

As per the English newspaper, The Telegraph, the all-rounder Stokes has agreed to captain England in Tests, following his face to face meeting with Key. The 30-years-old also wants the veteran pacers James Anderson and Stuart Broad to make their comeback into the side.

“Ben Stokes has agreed to be England’s next Test captain after meeting with new director of cricket Rob Key on Tuesday and wants to recall James Anderson and Stuart Broad,” The Telegraph wrote.

“The returns for Anderson and Broad were part of their discussions with Stokes keen for them to play a full role again this summer after they were left out of the West Indies tour,” the report added.

 

Furthermore, The Telegraph also claimed that the newly appointed Key, who is yet to make his first press conference will make the announcement on Thursday at Lord’s during his first media interaction after taking the position of ECB Director.

“Key is due to hold his first press conference on Thursday at Lord’s and could then announce Stokes’s widely anticipated appointment. He is just working through the formal process of appointing a captain,” The Telegraph.

It is pertinent to mention here that former English cricketers including Michael Vaughan, Michael Atherton, and others have also suggested Stokes as the new Test captain after Joe Root opted to step down earlier this month.

Furthermore, Stokes had previously said that he would turn down the offer to captain the side if his friend Joe Root gets sacked. But, with Root, resigning from the position on his own, he became available to accept the role.

READ: Pakistan Cricket Board to conduct women cricketers’ trials in May

Vaughan, Atherton suggest Ben Stokes as new England Test captain

Posted on by A Sports

LONDON: Former English skippers – Michael Vaughan and Michael Atherton have thrown their weight behind the flamboyant all-rounder Ben Stokes to become the new England Test captain.

Stokes, who previously said that he would turn down the offer to captain the side if his friend Joe Root gets sacked. But, with Root, resigning from the position on his own, may result in the former accepting the role conveniently.

Vaughan, who led England in 51 Tests and an Ashes triumph, termed Stokes as a natural choice.

“I don’t see anyone else who could take the position and be guaranteed of their place in the side,” said Vaughan referring to Stokes.

“In Stokes, you have clearly got someone who has got a smart cricket brain, he’s going to give it everything, he is certainly going to have the respect of the players around him,” he added.

 

Atherton, who captained England in 54 matches, termed Stokes as a ‘stop-gap captain’.

“That Root stepped down of his own accord makes it easier now for Ben Stokes, the only viable candidate, to take over,” wrote Atherton in The Times.

“Loyalty is everything to Stokes and he would not have wanted to take over had he felt that Root had been pushed aside,” his statement added.

“Stokes should be given the job, but it does not have to be for the long term. A short, sharp shock is required,” Atherton concluded.

It is pertinent to mention here that Root, who captained England in the record 64 Test matches, has decided to resign from his position on Friday after his side’s below-par performance in the longest format.

During his five years as England captain, Root scored 5,295 runs – the most by an English captain – and also hit 14 centuries.

READ: Tsitsipas overpowers Schwartzman to reach Monte Carlo Masters semis

Stokes undergoes second surgery on injured finger, may miss Ashes

Posted on by A Sports

London: England all-rounder Ben Stokes has undergone a second surgery on his broken index finger, ECB announced.

Stokes, who has been on indefinite leave since pulling out of the home Test series against India due to mental fatigue, is unlikely to feature in the Ashes, starting in December.

“Stokes had two screws and scar tissue removed from the index finger of his left hand. He will now undergo an intensive period of rehabilitation for the next four weeks under the supervision of the ECB’s medical team,” the statement read as.

It must be noted that Stokes picked up the injury on his left index finger while playing in the IPL for Rajasthan Royals four months back.

Stokes attempted a return to action this summer, playing for Durham in the T20 Blast in June and was also picked for the ODI series against Pakistan in July.

The series was marred by England’s first squad forced into isolation following a COVID-19 outbreak.

Stokes led a second-string side that featured nine uncapped players and guided England to a 3-0 series win.

However, he required a painkilling injection throughout the series. He has not played in any form of cricket since July 26.

Read: England’s Sam Curran ruled out of T20 World Cup, brother Tom Curran replaces him