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Stokes has come back from India as a better cricketer: Botham

by Cricbuzz Staff • Last updated on

Ian Botham was all praise for how Ben Stokes used the IPL to come back a stronger cricketer © Getty

Ian Botham, former England captain, reckons that Stokes has matured as a person and as a cricketer after his stint in the 2017 Indian Premier League (IPL). The highest paid foreign player was awarded with the most valuable player after he scored 316 runs at a strike rate of 142.98 and took 12 wickets at an economy rate of 7.18.

"He has matured as person and cricketer. People were saying to me 'do you think he should have gone for that long to the IPL?' The answer is 'yes' because he's come back a better cricketer. He's probably thinking a lot clearer and knows what he wants to do; he doesn't get flustered anymore.

"The red mist comes down occasionally but he's controlling that. I think he's come back from India a better cricketer and I think people should look at the bigger picture and not just say 'he's got a knee injury - he got that in the IPL' when in fact, he's had that a while," Botham told Sky Sports on Saturday (May 27).

The Durham player struck his second One-Day International (ODI) hundred against South Africa at The Rose Bowl. The 101 allowed England to set a mammoth 328 and the hosts managed to defend it and take the series 2-0 with a 2-run win.

The 79-ball knock included 11 fours and 3 sixes, but it came after he got a reprieve off the first and second balls he faced. Amla and Quinton de Kock were the culprits and poor Keshav Maharaj making his ODI debut was at the receiving end.

"Hashim Amla barely got a hand on one of the easiest catches you'll ever get at slip," said the former England all-rounder.

"If you let him [Stokes] off the hook, he makes you pay. He was magnificent. He's so powerful down the ground and he drags the ball well; he can drive it too. You can't set fields to straight hits like his. I think he likes batting against South Africa," opined Botham.

South Africa were ahead in the chase when they required 10 off 10, with David Miller and Chris Morris striking it cleanly. However, a calm Mark Wood held his nerve to defend 7 off the final over. This after the Proteas had dropped seven catches during England's essay.

"I've got to be honest," said Botham, "I thought their fielding at Headingley was poor and it was more of the same today; you just don't expect to see that from South Africa.

"England have outfielded South Africa and you wouldn't have necessarily thought that at the start of the series; I thought they might have been on a level playing field, but England are much, much better at the moment.

"Then South Africa wanted 10 runs off 10 balls at the end of their innings - you should walk that. David Miller played very well but couldn't get back on strike. He struck the ball really, really well and almost got South Africa home."

In a match where more than 650 runs were scored, England's bowling at the death was better than South Africa's, especially Mark Wood, who bowled the crucial overs and went for only 48 runs in his quota of 10 overs.

"Death bowling is such a hard job on pitches like this - this was another great pitch at the Ageas Bowl with plenty of runs scored. England will get there. I think they might want to think about bowling Plunkett at the death - but then again, he was taking wickets at vital times.

"I thought Mark Wood did well; he bowled one bad ball in his last couple of overs and it got clubbed for six. But aside from that, he bowled well and with aggression and defended seven off the last over; you don't win too many of those," concluded Botham.

© Cricbuzz

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