Ben Stokes has been the backbone of the England cricket team for over a decade - Yorkshire Post Letters
From: M.K.O'Sullivan, Allerton Bywater, Castleford.
Mr David Bell (Letters, 06/07/26) does not hold back in his criticism of Ben Stokes.
Ben Stokes deserves some slack. He has been the backbone of the England team for over a decade along with Joe Root.
Where in the county game is there any player with the prospect of filling the Ben Stokes boots, as player and as captain? Asking Joe Root to take over until the end of the 2027 Ashes series might be an answer, but at 35 it is a short term solution. Would he want it?
Just after Ben Stokes said that he was retiring from the Test match scene many cricket writers wrote comparing him to many greats of the past Ian Bottham, Freddie Flintoff, to name but two.
I can recall a recently retired all rounder finer than both. I refer to South African Jacques Kallis, over 13,000 test runs and 292 wickets. Ben Stokes’ figures are 7,273 runs and 252 wickets.
I recall another South African all rounder Trevor Goddard of the late 1950s , left handed opening batsman and left arm pace bowler. In the 1955 Leeds test match he shared a century opening stand with Jackie McGlew and with off spinner Hugh Tayfield both taking five wickets each bowled South Africa to victory.