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Ben Stokes is likely to play as an opener in the upcoming Big Bash League (BBL) for the Adelaide Strikers. Ahead of the sixteenth season of the league, former Australia keeper-batter Tim Paine shared that Stokes at the top of the batting order is possible this season because of his ability to hit the ball all around the park.
The recently retired England National Cricket Team all-rounder has joined the BBL franchise Adelaide Strikers on a one-year deal. He remained one of the hottest prospects in the off-season, and the team discovered a lot of potential in him to be impactful in the league even after retiring from the national cricket team.
Sydney Sixers and Melbourne Renegades also wanted Ben Stokes in their teams
Multiple BBL franchises were in the race to sign Ben Stokes. According to international media reports, Sydney Sixers and Melbourne Renegades were also in the race to secure the 35-year-old's services. In the end, Adelaide Strikers' deal is close to $500,000 for the season, confirming Stokes in their team.
Throughout his cricket career, Ben Stokes has played in the middle-order as a batter. Whether for the England National Cricket Team or for any franchise team, Stokes is known as a middle-order batter and a pace bowler who can take wickets in crucial moments.
Ben Stokes has played very limited white-ball matches after the 2022 T20 World Cup
Stokes, the former England captain, who played a very limited number of white-ball matches since winning the 2022 T20 World Cup with a match-winning innings in the final against Pakistan at the MCG, is likely to don a brand-new batting role on his return in the Big Bash League.
When he first played in the Australian franchise league during the 2014-15 season, he was an emerging cricketer, and now, at the age of 35, he is considered one of the most decorated all-rounders in modern-day cricket.
Ben Stokes could play as an opener for the Adelaide Strikers
Tim Paine-coached Adelaide Strikers want to present Ben Stokes in a whole new avatar in BBL 16, probably as an opener. Paine explained that Stokes' batting style can be suitable for the Australian pitches where the ball used to bounce.
"I think he's made to open the batting in the Big Bash. The patchy, bouncy wickets in Australia really suit him. 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 degrees. He's got power (and) some real class, so I think he can do a terrific job opening the batting," Tim Paine, the Adelaide Strikers head coach, said.
If the theory turns true in practice, then Stokes could pair up with Matt Short at the top of the order. Tim Paine actually loved the concept of Stokes and Short as the openers of the team.
"I love the combination. They're both really different (and) both absolutely world-class, so if you're sitting in front of your TV and those two are walking out to open the batting, I think it'll be pretty exciting," he added.
