'Always looked up to him' - Sam Curran wants to emulate Ben Stokes for England in ODIs

England all-rounder Sam Curran has said that he tries to copy star all-rounder Ben Stokes as the 24-year-old considers Stokes as his idol. The left-handed batter who has returned to England’s squad after recovering from an injury has admitted the fact that Stokes has left a big void to fill but he is not looking too far ahead now.

To note, Stokes had recently announced his retirement from the 50-over format, stating that the workload is taking a toll on him and he wants to focus on the other two formats of the game. At present, the Three Lions are taking on South Africa in a three-match ODI series with Stokes retiring after playing the first fixture of the series.

Just want to contribute when I’m batting and bowling: Sam Curran

“I’ve always looked up to Stokesy as a cricketer. I almost want to try to copy him. He’s obviously a huge loss and the boys are going to miss him, but any time I’m playing I don’t want to look too far ahead. Just want to contribute when I’m batting and bowling,” said, as quoted by The Cricketer.

“I’ve always tried to follow the way he trains and the way he plays. Obviously, he’s retired from one-day cricket now but he’ll go down as one of the greats for England. But always I try to be positive. That’s the message Jos has said to me and the team. It’s pretty obvious that Stokesy is going to be a massive miss.

Curran also emphasized the fact that Stokes has a big impact on England cricket as the left-handed batter and skipper of the Test team has played over 100 matches.

“The experience of an all-rounder who has played over 100 games for England, a leader, captain of the Test team now. The experience he brings, chatting about what the wicket is doing, how things will work, angles at the crease, small things like that.”