Written by Vaibhav Tripathi
Joe Root has hailed teammate Ben Stokes as the finest player ever produced by England. The all-rounder made headlines recently after reversing his decision to retire from ODI cricket. He is going to be a key player in England’s bid to retain the World Cup.
“You look at the two World Cup finals we won, and he won those for us (2019 50-over and 2022 T20). Even the one we lost against the West Indies in 2016 (T20), he still took on the big moment. He wanted that final over. To be able to come back from that in the manner that he has and deliver some of the things he has done in an England shirt is a testament to what a legend he is in the game. Probably, I think, the best player we’ve ever produced as a country,” Root told ESPNcricinfo in an interview.
Stokes changed his decision to retire from ODIs earlier this month. He had initially stepped down due to concerns about his workload across formats after discussions with England’s team management. He is the captain of England’s Test side.
“You know, every other international team is thinking, ‘Damn, I thought we got rid of him!’. At the same time, it fills the rest of the squad with confidence, knowing you’ve got a proven match-winner who will always seek out those big moments,” said Root, one of England’s leading batters and former Test captain.