Super Stokes can be better than Freddie
BEN STOKES had plenty to say to the South Africans during a superlative third Test performance but mention the name of a certain all-round predecessor of his and the England vice-captain is stuck for words.
‘I don’t really know what to say to that,’ said Stokes when told Stuart Broad had compared him to Andrew Flintoff at The Oval. ‘It’s always nice being compared to that guy and some of the spells he produced for England were amazing to watch. But I am not trying to be anyone other than myself.’
You can see what Broad meant and Stokes took it as a big compliment but the truth is that England’s current talisman has the potential to be a lot better than their old one.
Flintoff produced great moments, notably in the 2005 Ashes, but Stokes is well on the way to being a truly great, three-dimensional cricketer — like another great all-rounder, Sir Ian Botham — as he showed with a mature century, hostile bowling and catching made easy at The Oval.
There is no limit to what the man of the match in England’s 239-run victory can achieve if he stays fit.
Stokes, unlike Flintoff, is a batsman first and bowler second but perhaps the most encouraging aspect of his Oval performance was 90mph bowling on the fourth evening that encouraged Broad to make the comparison.
‘Since the knee trouble I had this season I have found it tough to get back to my best, rhythm and pace wise,’ said Stokes. ‘But I have been working hard in getting everything back to where it was last summer.’
One aspect of his personality that can be both a strength and a weakness is the ultra- competitiveness that saw him exchange words with the South Africans at The Oval, leading to umpire Aleem Dar telling him to calm down.
‘Dean Elgar was getting a few words from me and Jimmy Anderson but stuck it out and made a gutsy hundred,’ said Stokes, who is two ‘demerit’ points away from a ban.
‘On Sunday I didn’t feel I needed to use words but on the last day it was not quite going my way so I thought I would go about it in a different way. That’s what the battle is.’
Stokes may have better figures than Flintoff at a comparable stage — and more runs than Botham — but clearly there is scope for improvement. He said: ‘I never like to feel comfortable and always want to test myself. I am always trying to put obstacles in front of me to make things harder so in the middle it can feel easier.’