Ben Stokes has way to go to match Andrew Flintoff

Andrew Flintoff was the heartbeat of England’s side that regained the Ashes for the first time in 19 years in 2005. The all-rounder was the player of the series as Michael Vaughan’s men ended Australia’s stranglehold on the urn. Injuries prevented Flintoff from remaining at the peak of his powers, although he returned to the fold to play another important role in winning back the Ashes in 2009. The Lancastrian retired after England’s win at The Oval, leaving the Three Lions without the presence of an all-rounder to balance the side.

Ben Stokes emerged on the county scene and made his one-day international debut for England in 2011. His performances for Durham and the Three Lions’ limited-overs side saw Stokes selected for the Ashes squad Down Under in the 2013/14 series. Although England were whitewashed, the all-rounder still made an impact, scoring his maiden Test match century at Perth.

The 26-year-old has continued to thrive in all formats of the game and has developed into England’s spark with the bat, ball and in the field. He’s always in the contest and can turn the result of a match with a magical spell of bowling, a blistering time in the middle with the bat or his athleticism in the field. Therefore Stokes’ odds in live bet in play markets are worth monitoring, especially for the remainder of England’s series against New Zealand, as he is always in play to strike with the ball in the next wicket market or threaten the boundary.

Both Flintoff and Stokes are similar in style and personality, with seemingly larger-than-life personas on and off-the-field. At times, it has been to their detriment, with Flintoff involved in an incident in the 2007 World Cup, while Stokes missed the 2017/18 Ashes series in Australia Down Under following an issue on a night out in Bristol. England missed the intensity and the competitive nature of their all-rounder in their 4-0 defeat.

Flintoff proved the value of a top-quality all-rounder in the 2005 series, turning the contests in the favour of Vaughan’s side with an outstanding spell of bowling at Edgbaston before scoring a vital century with the bat at Trent Bridge. He won the Compton Miller medal for player of the series, highlighting his value to England’s winning effort. It seemed at every big moment, Flintoff would come to the fore.

Although Stokes has had his moments in an England shirt where he has produced excellent cricket, he has not enjoyed a series where he has dominated to guide his side to a memorable victory. He has more talent than Flintoff with the bat, but the Lancastrian is the superior bowler. Stokes had the opportunity to have a winning moment in the 2016 T20 World Cup final, only to be smashed four sixes on the bounce in the final over against the West Indies and Carlos Brathwaite.

He has bounced back but missed the chance for his moment Down Under as his off-the-field behaviour saw him left out of the Ashes squad. Stokes will be counting down to the days to the 2019 World Cup and the Ashes later in the summer. The 26-year-old has the talent to match the exploits of his predecessor in England’s all-round position. However, he has to rise to the occasion as Flintoff did in 2005 to be considered in his class.