Former England captain Ben Stokes is set to open the batting for the Big Bash League team, the Adelaide Strikers. The club went after him ‘aggressively’ to fight off competition from a number of teams, as the Adelaide Strikers’ coach Tim Paine believes that the former England all-rounder can impact the game in all aspects. Ben Stokes is signed by the Adelaide Strikers for a whooping earn A$500,000 ($357,00) for the one year deal, which is huge in the franchise circuit.
Ben Stokes’ one-year deal with the Adelaide Strikers was confirmed on Tuesday, making him available for the entirety of the BBL season. Coach Tim Paine believes that the 35-year-old will be able to influence all three departments of the game while also bringing his leadership experience to the side.
Ben Stokes gives us a lot of flexibility – Tim Paine
Tim Paine sees Ben Stokes as the ideal candidate to take the new ball with the bat, especially with Australia’s pace-friendly and bouncy pitches. “Stokes gives us a lot of flexibility. I think initially my chats around how we would use him would probably be opening the batting. I think he’s made to open the batting in Big Bash. I think the pacy, bouncy wickets in Australia really suit him,” Paine said, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
The former Australia captain also highlighted Stokes’ capability to change the momentum of the game or turn innings around almost instantaneously with his ability to attack all areas of the ground with equal fervour. “I’ve been on the end of a couple of these devastating innings in Test cricket where you feel like you can’t defend the field. He can play 360 [degrees]. He’s got power. He’s got some real class,” he added.
The Strikers had Matt Short and Chris Lynn as their regular opening pair last season, but with Lynn currently off contract, the pair could be split up despite his return to the franchise.
I think Ben Stokes can do a terrific job opening the batting- Tim Paine
Although Ben Stokes has opened only 16 of his 148 T20 innings, but albeit the smaller sample size, the numbers show that he is most productive in this role, averaging 36.53 and having a strike rate of 138.48 at the helm of the batting line-up. Ben Stokes also has two T20 centuries, one of which came as an opener for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2020. He struck an unbeaten 107 off 60 balls during that innings.
However, much of Stokes’ T20 career has seen him bat at Nos. 3, 4, and 5. He has been notably absent from the T20 scene since 2024, when he last played The Hundred, where he managed only four runs across three innings.
“I think he can do a terrific job opening the batting,” Paine said. “Playing pretty normally, as we’ve seen in the past, he can flick a switch and he’s got amazing power. His skill level with the bat and his play of spin, he’s just a well-rounded, world-class batter. We think that’s probably the best fit for him and for us,”
Ben Stokes’ Impact with the Ball
Tim Paine also believes that Ben Stokes could have an impact with the ball, saying, “Then with the ball, we think he can surprise people. I’ve played against him. He’s a bit quicker than people think. He’s got great skill. He can swing the ball both ways. We feel like we can use him in all phases of the game with the ball as well.”
Stokes has taken 352 wickets for England across international cricket, with his best figures of 6/22 emphasising his ability to produce decisive spells in pressure situations. Stokes’ arrival will also provide a boosted viewership for the BBL, which becomes crucial considering the uncertainty around the League’s future structure amid the privatisation debate.
“He’s someone that’s always drawn a lot of attention because of his personality and the way he plays the game,” Paine said. “I think we’ve seen in the last 24 hours just how much light he’s shone on the Big Bash just with his announcement. I’m sure that will only magnify when he lands in Adelaide and when he starts playing well and scoring runs and taking wickets,” he added.
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