Biography of Ben Stokes (England)Best Cricket Player

Ben Stokes is an English professional cricketer who was born on June 4, 1991, in Christchurch, New Zealand. He is an all-rounder who bats left-handed and bowls right-arm fast-medium.

Stokes moved to England at a young age and began his cricketing career with Durham County Cricket Club in 2009. He quickly rose through the ranks and made his first-class debut in 2010. He impressed with his performances in the 2011 season, scoring over 600 runs and taking 21 wickets, which earned him a call-up to the England Lions squad.

Stokes made his international debut for England in a One-Day International (ODI) against Ireland in August 2011, and made his Test debut against Australia in December 2013. He has since become a regular fixture in the England team, known for his aggressive style of play and his ability to perform in high-pressure situations.

In 2019, Stokes played a crucial role in England’s first-ever Cricket World Cup win. He scored an unbeaten 84 in the final against New Zealand, which helped England tie the match and eventually win in the Super Over. Later that summer, he played one of the greatest innings in Test history, scoring 135 not out to lead England to a miraculous victory over Australia in the third Ashes Test at Headingley.

Stokes has also been involved in controversy during his career. In 2017, he was arrested and charged with affray following an incident outside a nightclub in Bristol. He was subsequently acquitted of the charge in court. In 2020, he took a break from cricket to be with his family after his father was diagnosed with brain cancer.

Despite these setbacks, Stokes remains one of the most talented cricketers of his generation and is widely regarded as one of the best all-rounders in the world.

Early Life

Ben Stokes was born on June 4, 1991, in Christchurch, New Zealand, to parents Gerard and Deb Stokes. His father, a former rugby league player, was coaching in New Zealand at the time. The family moved to England when Ben was 12 years old, and settled in the city of Cumbria.

Stokes attended Cockermouth School, where he began playing cricket at a young age. He played for the local club Cockermouth Cricket Club, where he was coached by his father. Stokes was quickly identified as a talented cricketer and was selected for the England Under-19 team at the age of just 17.

Stokes’ family suffered a tragedy in 2006 when his father, Gerard, passed away from brain cancer. The loss had a profound impact on Stokes, who has spoken publicly about the difficulties he faced in coping with his father’s death. Despite this setback, Stokes continued to pursue his cricketing ambitions, and his talent was evident to all who saw him play.

Domestic Career

Ben Stokes’ domestic cricket career began with Durham County Cricket Club in 2009. He made his first-class debut for the club in 2010, and scored his maiden first-class century the following year, against Hampshire. Stokes’ performances in the 2011 season, where he scored over 600 runs and took 21 wickets, earned him a call-up to the England Lions squad.

In 2012, Stokes was named the Cricket Writers’ Club Young Player of the Year, following a successful season in which he scored over 1,000 runs in all formats of the game. The following year, Stokes played a key role in Durham’s successful campaign in the County Championship, taking 42 wickets and scoring over 700 runs.

Stokes’ success with Durham earned him a call-up to the England squad for the 2013-14 Ashes series in Australia. However, he struggled with both bat and ball in the series, and was dropped for the final Test.

Stokes continued to excel for Durham in domestic cricket, and played a crucial role in their victory in the 2014 Royal London One-Day Cup final, scoring a century in the match. He was also named as the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) Young Player of the Year in 2014.

Stokes’ performances in domestic cricket earned him a recall to the England squad for the 2015 Ashes series in England, where he played a key role in England’s victory in the series, scoring two centuries and taking eight wickets.

Stokes has continued to play for Durham in domestic cricket, although the club was relegated from Division One of the County Championship in 2016, following a points deduction for financial reasons. Stokes has also played for the Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash League in Australia, and for Rising Pune Supergiant and Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Biography of Ben Stokes (England)Best Cricket Player

Leadership Role

Ben Stokes has taken on various leadership roles in his cricketing career. He was named as the vice-captain of the England Test team in 2019, and has captained the side on a few occasions.

In the absence of regular captain Joe Root, Stokes was named as England’s captain for the first Test against the West Indies in 2020. He became the first cricketer since Andrew Flintoff in 2006 to captain England in a Test match while not being a regular captain. Although England lost the match, Stokes impressed with his leadership skills and was widely praised for his aggressive captaincy.

Stokes has also captained the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League, leading the side in the absence of regular captain Steve Smith. In his first game as captain, Stokes led the side to victory over the Mumbai Indians, scoring an unbeaten 107 in the match.

Stokes is known for his aggressive and competitive approach to the game, and his leadership style reflects these traits. He is seen as a natural leader, with the ability to inspire his teammates and lead by example on the field.

Biography of Ben Stokes (England)Best Cricket Player

Personal Life

Ben Stokes is married to Clare Ratcliffe, a former nurse. The couple got married in 2017 and has two children together.

In September 2019, Stokes was involved in a brawl outside a nightclub in Bristol, which led to criminal charges being brought against him. He was subsequently cleared of the charges in court, but was fined and suspended by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) for his role in the incident.

Stokes has been open about the impact that the incident had on his personal life and mental health. In his autobiography, he wrote about how he turned to alcohol as a coping mechanism following the incident, and how he struggled to deal with the media attention and scrutiny.

Despite the challenges he has faced off the field, Stokes has continued to excel as a cricketer, and is widely regarded as one of the best all-rounders in the world. He has also used his platform to raise awareness of mental health issues, and has spoken openly about his own experiences with anxiety and depression.