Court case may have doused Stokes’ fire

Rajasthan Royals had signed up Ben Stokes for a whopping $1.96 million (Dh7.19 million) hoping that the allrounder, who was the Indian Premier League’s Most Valuable Player in the 2017 edition, would deliver.

But Stokes scored a mere 196 runs and took just eight wickets from his 13 games. A study revealed that Stokes cost the Rajasthan team $10,000 for every run!

Stokes’ poor form has been attributed to the pressure on him on account of a looming court case following a street brawl outside a Bristol nightclub in September last year. Players like Stokes, who receive huge payments for their skills, must ensure discipline in their personal life with a clear focus on their career.

As soon as IPL offered huge money for the players, many were concerned about the lure of lucre impacting them negatively. Many players, despite coming from poor backgrounds, managed to handle it and stay focused on their game. Some went on to use the money to further sharpen their skills.

Every player has a responsibility to live up to the expectations of their franchise owners. Slipping out of form, like what we see in Yuvraj Singh or Gautam Gambhir, is understandable; but poor performance due to lack of discipline in personal life is not pardonable. The IPL has developed the thirst in many players to work harder and remain valuable. Rashid Khan became the richest Afghanistan cricketer after he got picked for IPL in 2017. He has since worked harder to become the most wanted player among cricket leagues around the world, and is today among the world’s finest leg spinners.

Indian skipper Virat Kohli has shown the way to many youngsters on maintaining a balance between personal life and cricketing career. He works hard on his fitness and skills, refusing to take his focus away despite being the most-sought after celebrity. It also proves that the more one earns, the harder he has to work to continue living up to expectations.

There are some players who have used this edition’s IPL to boost their value. New Zealand’s Kane Williamson, as skipper of Sunrisers Hyderabad, has made his franchise owners happy and will be surely richer in the coming IPL editions. As a professional, every cricketer must take it on himself as his duty to create the reputation of being a useful player. A young and inexperienced player like Rishabh Pant has also done it this time.

In the past, players had to deliver their best only for their country or state team. Today, they have to give their best in leagues around the world too. To remain invaluable, players must be aware of the importance of mental focus, because lack of control can be counterproductive for their cricket.

Ask Ben Stokes!