Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Stokes is the talisman who can lead us all the way to glory
THIS Champions Trophy is the most open tournament I can remember, but there are two reasons why I think England will win it... home advantage and Ben Stokes. In Stokes they have a player who is capable of leading a team through a tournament, riding the crest of the wave all the way to the final. It is not just about his runs and wickets though, his personality brings people along with him in everything he does. He drives the standards in the dressing room. He is the definition of a talisman. And in the year since England reached the World T20 final, Stokes has become an even better player than the one who felt the harsh reality of defeat. What people sometimes forget is that those sort of experiences are the ones that help you most when it comes to the next big occasion. And we have seen Stokes grow in stature both at home and abroad to become the most valuable player in the game right now. It came as no surprise to me that he went for as much money as he did at the IPL, good luck to him, but what really impressed was the way he managed to ignore the price tag and deliver match-winning performance after performance. That is what England fans can expect to see from him in the Champions Trophy with bat, ball and in the field – and it is what opponents will be fearful of. He has a little bit of a niggle in his knee, but it will take more than a niggle to stop a man like Stokes, and he will make a big impact even as a batsman and a fielder. And while the opposition are busy worrying about what Stokes might do to them with bat and ball, they just might get caught out by Joe Root, Jason Roy, Mark Wood or Jos Buttler, who can all do some serious damage, too. These players have all got some serious ability, and with Adil Rashid, Eoin Morgan and Moeen Ali firing too, it means England have got all bases covered and they will all feel very comfortable on grounds they know so well. They will have home comforts, home support and local knowledge so they know the skills and tactics you need at
Cardiff will be different to the strategy for Edgbaston. England made the final in 2004 and in 2013 when the tournament was held here so I don’t think it will be beyond them to go one better this time. They will have to get past some exceptional teams though and the truth is that Australia, India, South Africa and New Zealand have all got plenty of firepower of their own and are capable of winning it. It is a short, sharp event in a format that offers more than a T20. The game can ebb and flow and it has plenty of excitement on offer as the ball flies into the stands on a regular basis. It is a tournament that should capture the imagination, and Stokes is exactly the sort of player who can inspire our boys to glory.