Ben Stokes

Benjamin Andrew Stokes OBE (born 4 June 1991) is an English international cricketer and current vice-captain of the England cricket team in Test cricket. Stokes was part of the England squad that won the 2019 Cricket World Cup. Born in Christchurch, New Zealand, Stokes moved to northern England with his parents at the age of 12. As a left-handed batsman and right-arm fast-medium swing bowler, Stokes is regarded as one of the best all-rounders in the world. As a bowler, Stokes consistently bowls at around the 140kph (87mph) mark and he can also swing the ball. An attacking middle-order batsman, he holds the record for England’s fastest ever Test double-century, the fastest ever Test match 250, and the highest ever score for a Test batsman batting at number six. He also holds the record for the most runs scored by an individual batsman in the morning session of a Test match. Stokes became the highest-paid overseas player in the history of the Indian Premier League in 2017, fetching a record contract of ₹145 million ($2.1 million or £1.7 million); he won the Most Valuable Player award during the season. In January 2020, Stokes was awarded the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for Best Cricketer of the Year by the International Cricket Council (ICC) and three months later was named the Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World for 2019.