English Cricket Needs Ben Stokes For Better Or For Worse

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - AUGUST 11: Ben Stokes of Northern Superchargers is carried from the field ... More after picking up an injury during The Hundred match between Manchester Originals and Northern Superchargers at Emirates Old Trafford on August 11, 2024 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images) Getty Images

‘England left sweating on Ben Stokes’s fitness’ could be a headline inserted into several scenarios over the last four years. The latest piece of news on Stokes’s availability is following a pattern that needs to be broken to get a crack at the Australians down under. England’s Test captain will certainly not play in any early season County Championship fixtures after tearing his hamstring in December during the third Test against New Zealand.

The 33-year-old is English cricket’s bionic man. Stokes became the Indian Premier League’s most expensive foreign import at $2.16 million when signing for Rising Pune Supergiant in 2017. That may not be the cost of reconstructing the Six Billion Dollar Man, but the all-rounder has the kind of superhuman touch that can lift his side even when lame in one leg. Can they rebuild him to be better, faster and stronger in the intensity of an Ashes series away from home where any cracks in Bazball will be truly tested?

The Durham all-rounder is a no-nonsense leader who never hides and even went so far as to apologize to his teammates after getting cranky in Pakistan. His brutal honesty with himself must stretch to how much he can keep doing the hard yards that are needed before stepping onto the pitch. Stokes had bowled 36 overs at Hamilton before he broke down. “I ain’t holding back,” was the message.

Stokes hadn’t played any part in the three home Tests against Sri Lanka during the English summer after tearing the same hamstring while playing for the Northern Superchargers during the Hundred. There’s an Ashes to be won in November, but also a huge series against the Indians starting in June. It’s Test cricket that gets his juices flowing.

Earlier last week, former ODI skipper Eoin Morgan had touted the possibility of Stokes becoming England’s white ball-ball captain for major tournaments after Jos Buttler vacated the role following the team’s Champions Trophy exit. "I think a bit of a left-field call would be to ask Ben Stokes to consider the role, not necessarily on a full-time basis. You would have to create an environment where Ben would slip in and out seamlessly in preparation for big tournaments and then sit on the backburner and focus on Test match cricket until those big tournaments came up,” Morgan told Sky Sports.

Stokes hasn’t played any white-ball cricket since he came out of retirement for the Three Lions’ dismal defense of their 2023 World Cup in India. He missed the first three games with a hip injury. Immediately after the competition, he had surgery on a long-standing left knee injury which had compromised and restricted his bowling and mobility. Given all this recent history, it might be wishful thinking to hand over leadership duties in Twenty20 and ODI mode to try and recreate his greatest hits.

Morgan branded Stokes “almost superhuman” after the Durham man saved England in the 2019 World Cup final. Chris Woakes followed suit with “this superhuman that can do incredible things.” Even Steve Smith has named him “a freak” after a monumental 155 at Lord’s in 2023 almost pulled off a stunning Test victory in the Ashes.

How many more chapters can be written when the expectations remain the same but the body continues to scream out? Lee Majors did 80 per cent of his stunts because he thought he was young and invincible. Brendon McCullum joked that he’s had to remind the captain he’s not as youthful as he used to be.

There have been some voices within the English cricket scribes that the man needs saving from himself. He may be “working his butt off” to be fit for the titanic series against the other members of the Big Three of cricket in 2025, but there comes a time when Stokes’ effectiveness is going be dulled by the constant layoffs and intense rehabilitation.

LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 02: England captain Ben Stokes hits out for six runs during Day Five of the ... More LV= Insurance Ashes 2nd Test match between England and Australia at Lord's Cricket Ground on July 02, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images) Getty Images

Ian Botham’s magic dust wore off eventually as his fast swing bowling was reduced to some medium pace dobbers. Andrew Flintoff retired from all forms of international cricket after a constant knee problem at the age of 32. Stokes is certainly a different beast to both in terms of his obsessive approach in pushing the boundaries of his frame.

Even a hobbling Ben Stokes is a sight for sore eyes, but it’s not sustainable with the searing examination of Pat Cummins and Jasprit Bumrah to come. Time catches up with mortals who produce superhero acts. Only Stokes knows how much is left in the tank.

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