English cricketer Ben Stokes will play for Big Bash League (BBL) cricket next season. Stokes will play for the Adelaide Strikers after securing a deal reportedly worth around AU$500,000. The contract makes Stokes BBL cricket’s most expensive signing ever. Stokes also returns to Australia after being a part of the Ashes side that ended his national team career.
“He Gives Us Flexibility”, Strikers’ Coach Hails Stokes Signing
“He gives us a lot of flexibility,” the Strikers’ head coach revealed to reporters. “I think initially my chats around how we would use him would probably be opening the batting. I think he’s made to open the batting in Big Bash. I think the pacey, bouncy wickets in Australia really suit him,” he added.
“I’ve Played Against Him”, Paine Gives Firsthand Account of Stokes’ Skills
Paine recalls facing Stokes in a professional setting, and revealed the player’s immense power with the bat:
“I’ve been on the end of a couple of these devastating innings in Test cricket where you feel like you can’t defend the field. He can play 360 [degrees]. He’s got power. He’s got some real class,” Paine said. He also believes Stokes’ versatility can trigger a positive impact on the Adelaide’s franchise play next season:
“Then with the ball, we think he can surprise people. I’ve played against him. He’s a bit quicker than people think. He’s got great skill. He can swing the ball both ways. We feel like we can use him in all phases of the game with the ball as well. He’ll impact in the field with his athleticism and just the way he competes,” the coach continued.
Stokes Likely to Open Batting, Head Coach Suggests
Paine believes Stokes would be an ideal option for the Adelaide Strikers as an opening batter:
“I think he can do a terrific job opening the batting,” the coach said. “Playing pretty normally, as we’ve seen in the past, he can flick a switch and he’s got amazing power. His skill level with the bat and his play of spin, he’s just a well-rounded, world-class batter. We think that’s probably the best fit for him and for us,” he revealed.
“He’s someone that’s always drawn a lot of attention because of his personality and the way he plays the game,” he said. “I think we’ve seen in the last 24 hours just how much light he’s shone on the Big Bash just with his announcement. I’m sure that will only magnify when he lands in Adelaide and when he starts playing well and scoring runs and taking wickets,” Pained added.
Stokes’ inclusion in the BBL 16 roster clearly brought more publicity to Australia’s premier franchise cricket competition. Paine suggests that Stokes’ leadership and overall presence will be a plus for the league this season:
“There’s some intangible stuff with Stokesy as well, I think, around his leadership, his presence and commercially and fan engagement. So there’s not that many players I wouldn’t have thought out in the world that tick all of those boxes and are still at a really high level as a cricketer. So, yeah, we made that decision pretty quickly and pursued him quite aggressively,” the head coach continued.
Paine Welcomes Stokes, Frowns at BBL Switching Rules on Overseas Players
The head coach is happy with Stokes’ inclusion; however, he made it clear that sudden rule changes did not appeal to him ahead of next season’s BBL:
“I’m sure I speak for many people who are really frustrated with the time it’s taken to be given these rules and then to have rules completely changed,” Paine said. “We’ve been going about a list strategy for the last two years and then find out two weeks ago that you don’t have to sign overseas players and you can just do whatever you like,” the coach said.
“That’s frustrating. Hopefully now that it’s been decided, things are locked in and we get some consistent rules over the next few years,” he concluded.
Jos Buttler Tags Stokes’ BBL Move to Adelaide Strikers as “Huge Coup”
“Yeah, big news,” Buttler told reporters after Stokes secured a BBL contract. “Obviously, a huge coup for the Big Bash to sign Ben Stokes. That will bring eyeballs and all sorts of talking points to the Big Bash.”
“It’ll be interesting for Stokes. He obviously played less and less white-ball cricket for a long time. Hasn’t played much T20 for a long time,” the English cricketer added. “So it’ll be really interesting for him to go back into this sort of franchise world and play the short form again,” Buttler concluded.
