CHENNAI: Zero. Forty one. Eleven. Thirteen.
It was fair to say Ben Stokes' first few meetings against Australian teams Down Under wasn't going along planned lines. The then 21-year-old was highly thought of. Some said he could become the next Andrew Flintoff or a better version of Ian Botham.
Those prophecies were put on standby as he was sent home some 36 hours after making 13 for England Lions versus Australia A, for a serious breach of discipline also known as an affinity towards drinking way past bed-time.
It wasn't his first offense. In December 2011, he had been arrested and cautioned for obstructing police in an alcohol-related episode. He had taken the joke of replacing Flintoff and Botham way too seriously.
However, in the last 24 months – four balls from hell at the World T20 final last year notwithstanding – he has been responsible for most of England's good work. He has been one of their few kings in all three formats; someone with the distinct ability to put bums on seats. A very non-English trait.
Given his obvious showstopping capabilities, Stokes might generate a buzz at the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) auctions (he has made himself available at the highest reserve price of `20 million). That may be seen as something approaching chutzpah, especially when taking into consideration that the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) may force him to go back for national duties while the tournament is on.
Nevertheless, a few franchises have done a SWOT analysis of Stokes ahead of the auction next month. “If I told you that we are not looking at him as an option, then that certainly will not be the case,” Gujarat Lions' CEO Harvinder Singh told Express. “He is definitely an option. But I will not tell you whether he fits into our scheme of things or not.”
Another franchise that has arranged a horoscope of the all-rounder is the Rising Pune Supergiants. "If English players (and Ben Stokes is certainly one) make themselves available for the entirety of the tournament, they are bound to create a flutter or two,” CEO Raghu Iyer told Express.
However, both of them qualified their statement with a big caveat: vis-a-vis his availability. “Ideally when you take in a player, you bring him in with the understanding that he will be available for all games,” Harvinder explained.
That's not a certainty as the 25-year-old might be going back to play against Ireland in a two-match ODI series, followed by a camp before a series against South Africa (late May) and the Champions Trophy (June). Given the tattooed superstar has said it will be England first always, the franchises might opt to play it safe.
swaroop@newindianexpress.com