Stokes set to open for Adelaide
“"Role model" Ben Stokes is set to open the batting for the Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash League, with club coach Tim Paine saying the former England skipper was made for the job. All-rounder Stokes…”
All-rounder Stokes, who signed for the T20 franchise on Tuesday, is usually a middle-order batsman but ex-Australia captain Paine has other ideas. "I think he's made to open the batting in the Big Bash. The pacey, bouncy wickets in Australia really suit him," said the Strikers head coach.
"I've been on the end of a couple of his devastating innings in Test cricket where you feel like you can't defend the field. He can play 360, he's got power. "Should the 35-year-old do so he would partner Strikers captain Matt Short, another destructive big-hitter.
"I love the combination. They're both really different. Both absolutely world class," said Paine.
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Stokes retired from the international game midway through England's recent Test series defeat against New Zealand but has continued playing county cricket for Durham. He had been dropped for the second Test against New Zealand after breaking a team curfew in a nightclub incident also involving England team-mate Gus Atkinson.
Despite the controversy and Australian fans' love-hate relationship with Stokes, Paine is confident he will be warmly welcomed. "I know Australian cricket fans have loved beating England and love beating Ben Stokes," he said. "But they've absolutely always respected the way he plays the game, how competitive he is and how much he wants to win.
"I think Australian fans will really warm to his character and his personality. "We expect he'll be a fantastic role model for our club and for our fans. "Stokes's decision to play for Adelaide takes him back into the T20 franchise world after a brief stint at Big Bash side Melbourne Renegades in 2015.
He is available for the entire tournament, which runs from mid-December to January 26.
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