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Is Ben Stokes the best cricketer ever in the whole world?

Test_Fan_Only

First Class Debutant
Two extremely impressive centuries, still is he a better cricketer than Steve Smith? Doesn't really matter both excellent players who have done exceptionally well this series.
 

GIMH

Norwood's on Fire
Two extremely impressive centuries, still is he a better cricketer than Steve Smith? Doesn't really matter both excellent players who have done exceptionally well this series.
Smith has taken no wickets this series so Stokes wins
 

Uppercut

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His personality comes out so clearly in the way he plays. Like Warne or Viv or KP.

I’ve felt for a long time that England (and to a lesser extent Australia) lacked fight in Ashes games. In the past ten years whoever went ahead in the game first won easily basically every time. And you could always see exactly when it happened, they would start phoning it in in the field at the first partnership after conceding a first innings lead. We saw it start to happen again on Friday evening. You could tell Stokes saw it too. I think that’s why he bowled 15 overs straight- he didn’t trust anyone else to keep putting the effort in.

The thing about mental strength in cricket is that it’s hard to talk about without sounding like you’re being very harsh and personal about some players. But who can stay motivated and concentrate for all of a game that lasts 5 days? I definitely couldn’t. It’s actually really rare. In other sports it’s the ones who aren’t too bothered that stand out, but in cricket it’s the opposite. You stand out if you throw everything into every game. That’s what’s so thrilling about watching Stokes. He scores a 2* from 60 and even Burgey is in the tour thread afterwards saying FMD that’s a hell of a player.
 
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Kirkut

International Regular
His personality comes out so clearly in the way he plays. Like Warne or Viv or KP.

I’ve felt for a long time that England (and to a lesser extent Australia) lacked fight in Ashes games. In the past ten years whoever went ahead in the game first won easily basically every time. And you could always see exactly when it happened, they would start phoning it in in the field at the first partnership after conceding a first innings lead. We saw it start to happen again on Friday evening. You could tell Stokes saw it too. I think that’s why he bowled 15 overs straight- he didn’t trust anyone else to keep putting the effort in.

The thing about mental strength in cricket is that it’s hard to talk about without sounding like you’re being very harsh and personal about some players. But who can stay motivated and concentrate for all of a game that lasts 5 days? I definitely couldn’t. It’s actually really rare. In other sports it’s the ones who aren’t too bothered that stand out, but in cricket it’s the opposite. You stand out if you throw everything into every game. That’s what’s so thrilling about watching Stokes. He scores a 2* from 60 and even Burgey is in the tour thread afterwards saying FMD that’s a hell of a player.
I see a lot of Yuvraj Singh like warrior spirit in Stokes, with Stokes being a better test player.
 

CricAddict

International Coach
The depth in allrounders is probably the best since the big 4 of the 80s (plus Rice and Procter) - Shakib, Holder, Stokes, the 2 Ravis and CDG. All are special in their own way.
Late 90s/early 2000s was better. The South African allrounders Kallis, Klusenar, Mcmillan and Pollock, Flintoff and Gilchrist. Akram, Vaas, Cairns, Hooper, Razzaq etc. were decent as well.
 

lordscc

Cricket Spectator
At the moment he is the 4th best batsman in the world ahead of joe Root

He’s the best all rounder in the world
 

CricAddict

International Coach
At the moment he is the 4th best batsman in the world ahead of joe Root

He’s the best all rounder in the world
It is just the euphoria of this innings speaking. Shakib is still number one for me ahead of Stokes. But it is daylight after these two. Sir Jaddu, Holder and Lord Colin come a distant third.
 

TheJediBrah

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Late 90s/early 2000s was better. The South African allrounders Kallis, Klusenar, Mcmillan and Pollock, Flintoff and Gilchrist. Akram, Vaas, Cairns, Hooper, Razzaq etc. were decent as well.
Yeah let's be honest it's really just Stokes and Shakib that are smashing it as all-rounders right now. The rest make up the tier or 2 below where there is always a half dozen or more around world cricket.

CDG is a weird one to throw in there too, hard to imagine he'd even make most international teams
 
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