Ben Stokes in contention to assume leadership of England’s white-ball team
England’s white-ball cricket is at a crossroads following Jos Buttler’s resignation as captain after a dismal Champions Trophy campaign.
In a recent statement, England fast bowler Stuart Broad has picked Ben Stokes as the best player he has ever played with while naming Australia’s run machine Steve Smith as his toughest opponent on a cricket field.
Broad heaped praises on his all-rounder teammate for his impact not only with the bat and ball in hand but also on the field saving crucial runs and hanging on to game-changing catches.
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For Smith, the England stalwart stated that he still hasn’t figured out how to bowl to him and praised him for having a hunger for big scores.
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“I feel very lucky to have the option to name a few here but, if I thought about three or four, I might get to between 10-15. So, being brutally strict, I would have to say Ben Stokes is the best I have played with, for the positive impact he can have on games with bat, ball and in the field,” Broad said in an interview with Daily Mail.
“As for against? I have yet to figure out the best way to bowl at Steve Smith. He makes life tough for bowlers and has a huge hunger for big scores,” he added.
Both Smith and Stokes were the stars for their respective teams in Ashes 2019. Smith, who was playing his first Test series after serving a year-long ban for his role in the infamous ball-tampering incident. scored 774 runs in the series as Australia retained the Ashes.
Meanwhile, Stokes was the highest run-getter for England and scored 441 runs including a famous 145 in the Headingley test which included a 76 run partnership for the last wicket with Jack Leach. Leach only added 1 run in that partnership but the fact that he remained at the crease with Stokes meant that they had won the match by a wicket.
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