“It’s easy to have faith when everything is going well. But remember, it’s the storm the tests the strongest sailor. Will you remain standing?”
It’s April 2016 and we’re at the Eden Gardens, India.
A huge crowd at Kolkata has come to witness the T20 World Cup final and West Indies need 19 runs from the last over with 4 wickets in hand against a disciplined England.
A 25-year-old Ben Stokes who has already bowled 2 economical overs and taken 3 catches in the match, is given the ball.
But to call, what followed, a nightmare, would be toning it down.
Ball 1: A half-volley on leg stump, Brathwaite plays across the line and clears it over deep backward sqaure leg for six.
Ball 2: Stokes tries to go full but fails, smoked over long on for a huge six.
7 needed off 4 now. Stokes somehow gathers his focus back and goes back for the runnup.
Ball 3: Stokes goes full on the middle stumps and Brathwaite goes full swing of the bat. It was far from well timed, but still sails comfortably over long off for a six, such is the power of the West Indians!
Ball 4: “Carlos Brathwaite, remember the name” roars commentator Ian Bishop while he deposits this one towards deep mid wicket for another massive six, to register his name in the history books of world cricket.
That’s it. Done and dusted. That World Cup dream for England was gone within the span of four balls and five minutes.
And just like that, the Stokes jaggernaut was quashed by the collective might of the West Indies.
“It’s over. What have I done!
I have let the team down”
It was as if we could hear Stokes think in that moment.
From here, things could easily have gone down south. When I say south, I mean career-ending south.
But then “Why do we fall, Bruce? So that we can learn to pick ourselves back up”.
What Stokes achieved in the years to follow, was greater than saving Gotham city!
This is a story of pain, struggle, hard work, defiance and then, inevitable redemption.
This is a story of survival through personal tragedy, emotional trauma, panic attacks, and mental health challenges.
This is the story of Benjamin Stokes.
The Suffering:
After that defeat, Ben started training like a beast.
”Ben is the hardest trainer out of anyone I have ever played with. It’s always a bit scary for people” said Phil Scott, England’s strength and conditioning coach in his documentary.
In September 2017, Ben registered a career best 6-22 in the 3rd Test against West Indies, which helped England win the series 2-1.
But in the same month, Ben got into a fist fight outside a club in Bristle, for which he was arrested.
Stokes lost his England vice-captaincy and a place on an Ashes tour after footage of the fight, which left two men unconscious, was published by a newspaper website in the aftermath of his arrest.
Ben had to maintain his silence at times when many on social media and certain parts of the press predetermined his guilt long before the trial even began.
The media, being media, published their perceptions of the incident.
After 11 months of trial, Stokes was found “not guilty”.
He had “stepped in” to defend two gay men who were being verbally abused, but then had to defend himself from Ali, 28, and Hale, 27, who were threatening violence. Ali was wielding a beer bottle held upside down by its stem.
This not only hampered Stokes’ career, but also affected him mentally.
But once cleared of affray, Ben resumed action in no time.
Rise of the Phoenix : ICC World Cup Final, 2019
”No way! You cannot do that Ben Stokes” exclaimed commentator Nasser Hussain on live TV during an England Vs South Africa match where Stokes took a blinder in the deep.
Cut to July 2019 and here we are, at yet another World Cup final, this time the classic one.
Though this was the longer format, the demons of 2016 would surely have haunted Stokes before coming into the finals.
New Zealand had posted a defendable 241/8 on a Lords’s pitch which had help in it for the fast bowlers.
But England would still think that they have done well.
Only until over number 24 of the 2nd innings, when the top 4 England batters were removed by NZ pacers with a paltry 86 runs on the board.
The responsibility of steadying England’s ship was now upon Jos Butler and Ben Stokes.
Both of them took charge, Jos being the aggressor and a Stokes being the anchor.
At 44.5, Stokes was in 51 off 83 when Jos Butler found a man at sweeper cover, which opened the floodgates for England.
”I stopped believing. Remember being seated next to Joe and he said Ben can do this” said Jos Butler.
From 203/5 in 46 overs, they slipped to 227/8 in 49 overs, still needing 15 runs off the last over.
That number “15” would have been much higher, probably outside England’s reach, had Stokes not been able to find at least one boundary in every over from the 44th to the 49th, when wickets were tumbling at the other end.
Bolt comes in to bowl the last over, and nailed his line and length in the first two balls. England being 8 down, Stokes denied a single on both the deliveries.
15 needed of 4 now.
A length delivery, Stokes picks it up really well, and steps across to slog-sweep it away to deep mid-wicket for six! Almost falls over, but this shot was a loud and bold statement statement saying “I’m still here, we’ll take this World Cup home”.
9 needed off 3 and you would not believe me if I told you what happened on the next ball.
Stokes clubbed away a full toss to deep mid-wicket, and in his dive into the striker’s end while taking a second, deflected it with his bat towards the long-stop boundary for four overthrows! 6 runs = 2 that they had run + 4 runs worth of rotten luck for New Zealand!
With this, Stokes and England sailed on their bit of luck to bring the target to 3 off 2 balls now.
But guess what?
New Zealand pulled out 2 runouts in 2 balls to take the match into the super over.
Yes! A super over in a World Cup final. What were the odds?!
If seas were made from tickles in the stomach, the audience from Lords would be able to fill and entire ocean just watching this match.
England had to bat first now.
It was no surprise to see Stokes and Jos Butler come out to bat, who posted 15 runs on the board off the super over.
The number “15” again. What were the odd?!
It was now upto Jofra Archer to defend these 15 runs.
Courtesy a wide, a massive six from Neesham, and a couple of doubles, the equation was again down to 3 off 2 balls, same as that it was half an hour ago for England.
What were the odds?!
And Archer could feel the heat. Who could possibly know it better than Stokes.
He had been there. He knew how it feels. He wished he had slowed it down back in 2016. And he did exactly that for Jofra.
He went up to Jofra Archer and said “Anything that happens here does not define you as a player”.
2 needed off 1, and Guptill could only managed one, before getting run out while taking the second.
”England have won the World Cup, by the barest of all margins! Agony, agony for New Zealand” said the commentator.
Turns out that according to the cricket rules, if super over turned out to be a tie, the team with the most boundaries wins.
And on this basis, England lifted their maiden World Cup trophy.
What were the odd?!
Fortune certainly favours the brave!
The National Hero: Ashes 2019
Due to the bristle arrest case, ECB had not allowed Stokes to play the Ashes 2017/18, which the Aussies had won 4-0.
In the 2019 edition, England had lost miserably in the 1st test, by 251 runs to be precise and were only able to draw the 2nd Test, in the lights of a quick fire century from Stokes.
But we’re here to talk about the 3rd Test in particular, because that was something which seemed unreal for Homo Sapien Sapiens.
Australia had posted 179 on the board in the 1st Innings and England were ahead at this point of time.
But even that proved to be too many for England as Hazzlewood ran through the English lineup to wrap them up for a mere 67.
The first half of the Ashes was over and more often than not, England had fallen like nine pins.
To add to that, Australia bettered their score to put 246 on the board in the 3rd innings, which meant England had to chase down 359 in the 4th.
On the fifth day of the test, the match was becoming increasingly interesting.
England were 156/3, Joe Root was batting at 75 and the Aussies started attacking England with bouncers.
But it was not long before Joe Root fell to an outside edge to Lyon while stepping out of his crease. England were now 159/4, still trailing by over 200
Johnny Bairstow was the new man at the crease.
Him and Stokes started timing the ball well, and soon, the partnership bulged to 86 runs.
When England were 245/4, the win predictor had turned in their favour, although just slightly.
This is when Bairstow edged one outside off, one which could easily have been left alone, straight to 2nd slip.
And once again, like the World Cup final, it was upon Jos Butler and Ben Stokes to steady England’s ship.
Only this time, the storm was bigger.
Call it a disaster or carelessness , but Jos Butler was run out when the Ashes were on the line.
It was Stokes’ call but forward short leg was quick to receive the ball and throw it at the non strikers end who was well out of his crease. There was never a single there.
This, for Australia, was a huge stride towards retaining the Ashes.
England were now 253/6.
Suddenly, those 107 runs looked like a mountain to climb.
After 3 hours and 32 minutes of batting, Stokes reached his 50 off 152 deliveries, with England still needing 98.
Yet another mistake by his batting partner, this time Woakes, and England slipped to 261/7. A straight catch to forward short leg.
Some resistance from Jofra and fine shots by Stokes took England around 25 runs forward, but in the process, Stokes lost 2 more partners.
Broad fell in the 116th over. England required 83 more and Stokes was on 61 off 174.
You could only expect that much from the bowlers against the lethal Aussie attack. England were now 286/9.
No cricket guru could tell what happened next.
Analysts, with their best of softwares, could only tell how much time there was left until Australia clean the last wicket up.
England had to see through 47 overs in the test match with 1 wicket in hand to draw the test match.
But Stokes decided to go for the full monty. After all, you do not have to play 47 overs if you win sooner. Stokes changed gears.
In the 117th (by Lyon), Stokes clears his front leg, stretches to the pitch of it and tonks it straight into the sightscreen for six.
In the 119th (again by Lyon), he hit two brave shots for sixes, again making a statement.
One over long off kneeling down, and the other one, a SWITCH HIT over deep sweeper cover. Cannot emphasise more on how courageous this shot was.
He didn’t stop there. He just kept elevating his levels of shot selection. That is what skill is all about.
All of this with 1 wicket in hand, which meant he had to cross over by the end of the over , so that Jack Leach at the other end was exposed to one, or maximum two balls in the over.
Come the 121st, he walks across and then places it over the keeper now for six.
“This guy is a freak” says the commentator looking at that six.
By the end of the 121st, the Australian lead was down to 37 now and England were now able to see that light at the end of the tunnel.
And it shined a little brighter, when Ben Stokes smoked Hazlewood for 19 runs in the following over.
In this over, Stokes hit a boundary on the first ball to reach his hundred, but he couldn’t care less.
The next ball he turns an attempted yorker into a full toss as if he was reading the bowler’s mind. Didn’t find the middle of the bat but the ball flew over both square leg and deep mid-wicket converging underneath for a six.
The following delivery also meets the same fate as Stokes swings hard and the ball, this time a good length delivery, again sails over the same two fielders.
In the 124th over, Stokes hit 2 more boundaries, to bring the target down to single figures. He was, right from when the 9th wicket fell, playing as if it was England’s match to loose.
And now, heading into the 125th over, it had turned out to be exactly that. Stokes hits one over long off for another six, his 8th.
The equation now was, 1 for a tie, 2 for a win.
At 124.4, there was drama. Lyon fumbles a return throw to run leach out. This was dead, the nail was right there.
England would have lost by 1 run!
But the seemingly immortal Aussies, very unlike them, couldn’t keep their nerves under pressure.
The next delivery was even more drama.
Like the World Cup final, England had luck on their side as an LBW decision was falsely given as not out by the umpire and Australia were out of reviews.
2 chances in 2 balls where the match, and the Ashes, were that of the Aussies to take home.
But again, fortune favours the brave, isn’t it?
It was at 125.4, when the miracle of the Leeds, became a reality.
Stokes stands up tall, has the width dished out to him, and thumps it away through the covers. Up he goes, fist in the air, roaring like a lion.
The iconic sync celebration between Stokes and the crowd is fresh within the brain cells of every individual that had the opportunity to watch this game live.
It was like a Déjà Vu of Edgebaston 2005, but Australia, with the ball, couldn’t do what England had done that time.
The difference: Ben Stokes.
This innings of 135 (219) is something even the Aussie fans would have admired, after picking up their jaws from the floor that is.
In fact, to call this one of the greatest test comebacks of all time would be an understatement.
And so, England lived another day fighting for the Ashes.
More Suffering:
After winning the World Cup and saving the Ashes single handedly for the team, the struggle was over, one would think.
But after his massive success in 2019, the unthinkable was awaiting Stokes which prompted him to take an indefinite break from all forms of cricket in mid 2021.
There were 2 major reasons for this break, and both were related to Stokes’ parents.
In September 2019, a very renowned publication “The Sun” committed a shameless act of publishing an article “Tragedy that haunts the Stokes family”.
This article was nothing less than salt on the scars of Ben’s mother Deborah Stokes.
The article described an incident from Deborah’s past where her ex husband shot their two minor children dead before shooting himself.
Ben’s mother was shattered. Although they fought it legally against the publication and eventually won, the damage had already been done.
Somewhere deep down, Stokes felt that it is the fame and glory that he had achieved which led to this article being published.
In early 2020, Ben discovered something due to which he could not sleep for an entire week
His father, Gerald Stokes, was terminally ill with brain cancer.
And suddenly, the shoulders which were strong enough to lift the entire nation’s expectations faced the injury of loosing that one person who had made them this strong in the first place.
And again, Ben’s not so friendly relationship with the board was evident when he said that he felt deep resentment towards cricket due to lack of support from some in the England hierarchy and pondered if he was “playing for the wrong people” because he had been unable to visit his ill ofather.
But yet, he did not forget his duties. His father wanted him to “do his job”
And he did. He did what he had been doing better than anyone else on the planet.
Bail England out.
This time he bailed England out in a test series Vs West Indies where they were 1 – 0 down.
In the 2nd test, he scored a brilliant 176 in the first inning and 78* in the second. Even took 3 crucial wickets to take England to an easy victory.
What we also saw in that match is an iconic finger celebration, which was a gesture of honour to his father.
Gerald Stokes had a finger injury during his professional Rugby career.
The doctors recommended him to undergo an operation which indicated that he would be required to stay away from Rugby.
Gerald decided to get his finger separated and continued playing. Stokes with his celebration acknowledged his father’s contribution, who made a lot of sacrifices to let his son realise his dream of playing for England
“Everything I did from here on was for him” he said.
Gerald passed away in December 2020, and Ben’s mental health started deteriorating further. Covid 19 and quarantine were not helping much either.
It was when his anxiety and panic attacks grew to an extent which any mortal couldn’t stand is when he decided to take an infinite break from the game in mid 2021.
”The more you try to suppress it the worse it’s gonna be” he said to his therapist.
The Redemption: T20 World Cup, 2022
In 2022, England reached yet another T20 World Cup final, their third.
England won the toss and put in Pakistan to bat first, only to restrict them to 137/8 courtesy some great display of bowling by Sam Curran, who took 3 wickets and gave away just 12 in his 4 overs.
It was when England were 84/4 in the 13th over is when they realised that they might yet again, be in trouble.
Pakistan, with the likes of Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah and Mohammad Wasim still in the bank, very much believed that they could pull it from here.
But once again, it was a tall 6’1” guy with divine abilities under pressure, who came to the rescue.
He had scored only 58 runs and taken 1 wicket in the entire tournament, but scored 52 runs and 2 wickets on the night when it mattered the most.
And after 6 years, Ben Stokes finally buried the ghosts of 2016 when he led England to it’s second T20 World Cup title.
Learnings:
In the business book “The Hard thing about hard things”, the author describes the concept of “Wartime CEO” Vs “Peacetime CEO”
Peacetime CEOs are the ones who employ techniques to encourage broad based creativity and contribution towards a diverse set of objectives.
In wartime, the company has a single bullet in the chamber and must, at all costs, hit the target. The company’s survival in wartime depends upon strict adherence and alignment to the mission.
Ben Stokes certainly developed himself to be that Wartime CEO.
Putting into words, the amount of inspiration one can, and I personally draw from the Ben Stokes redemption arc, is difficult.
You may be down, beaten so deep into the ground that the only thing that is visible is darkness.
But you got to keep the faith. You got to keep moving forward! The universe will make it happen. We saw that in the 2019 World Cup final. We saw that in the Ashes.
From getting hit for 4 sixes in T20 World Cup 2016 final, to winning England the same title in 2022, Ben fought through the night, like a knight.
Upwards and onwards, champ!