In the biggest summer in English cricket history Ben Stokes has stood head and shoulders above the rest.

He is the best cricketer I have played alongside and while it might be a massive shout – and admittedly he is a very close friend – I would argue he is now the greatest all-rounder this country has ever produced.

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To deliver an innings like the one he played at Headingley, just six weeks after winning us the World Cup final, and with the Ashes on the line, is what seals it for me. I know there are past greats like Ian Botham and Andrew Flintoff but we’re watching another legend in the making here. When everyone woke up on Sunday morning there was a sense that England could do something very special. I followed the run chase throughout the day but with two runs to win I had to be peeled away from the TV screen in the dressing room to go out and bat for Worcestershire in our T20 game against Lancashire.

The match actually paused for a good minute or so when a huge roar went up – it must have been Jack Leach levelling the scores with that textbook nudge off the hip – and then soon after this it was followed by an even bigger one when Stokesy smacked that four. He was literally stopping games around the whole country.

The thing is, none of it surprised me. Stokesy has always had the talent and potential. My beliefs are that good people who work hard get their rewards. There will be struggle at times and hurdles along the way – life throws up all sorts – but in the end, you will prevail if you stick to the right path.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Moeen Ali and Stokes are close friends. Photograph: Paul Childs/Action Images via Reuters

Stokesy first came on my radar when I saw him hitting an 88-ball century against India in the Under-19s World Cup in 2010. We didn’t become teammates until 2014 on a one-day tour to the Caribbean and he was going through a rough patch at the time, with some low scores and then a busted hand when he struck a locker.

It may surprise some people when I follow this by saying he was already a mature guy at just 22, with a young family. And what I liked about him was that he treated everyone the same. It didn’t matter who you were, your background or what you looked like, he always had time for you. We hit it off straight away.

Just before the incident in Bristol in 2017 I really thought he was coming into his own as a cricketer. That set him back a bit but since then he has become more aware of his surroundings and responsibilities. He has the Test vice-captaincy back now but he doesn’t need a label, because he leads any team he plays in regardless.

What we witnessed on Sunday wasn’t a fluke, it was the result of the hard work I mentioned. Seriously, you will not find a cricketer more dedicated to self-improvement. He trains at 100mph and is just unrelenting with it. And over time it has made him into the player you see today. Those mammoth bowling spells at Headingley are testament to that.

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As a batsman he has become excellent at judging scenarios. He now has the all-round game and technique to adapt. Think about the start and end to that innings: his first 73 balls he scored three runs. His last 45? 74. Incredible. Even when Jos Buttler was run out, he kept his cool. Refusing to celebrate personal milestones sums him up too. It is team first, every time.

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Huge credit must also go to Leach for sticking with him. He is a better batsman than some would give him credit for. He gets in line, fights his corner and is harder to get out than you would think. Cricket is an amazing game because he scored one run and yet it is probably the biggest he will make in his life.

The decision to give him the nod over myself after Edgbaston was one I couldn’t argue with. All I care about is England doing well and if that means I’m looking on for a bit, I won’t lose any sleep. Whatever happens will happen and I will support Leachy and the boys regardless. The schedule makes it tricky to get back in but I am enjoying my time at Worcestershire. A video of me bowling seamers went around social media the other week and while I’m not on it, I heard it caused a bit of a stir. People were thinking I’d lost confidence in my spin bowling but to be honest, that was nonsense.

One of our quicks, Josh Tongue, was injured and after bowling some, ahem, half-decent seam last year, our captain, Joe Leach, asked me to switch for a spell. Sometimes the view from the sofa isn’t always the most informed. I am finding form with the bat too and when the time comes, I will be ready.