Over time in the history of cricket there have been so many cricket players who have been called as the greatest cricket players ever. Sir Donald Bradman, Sachin Tendulkar, Glen Mcgrath, Brian Lara, to name a few of these cricket players. But there have been very few cricketers that you count in the list of the best team players in cricket. Being a team player is a very difficult job in world cricket as it includes cricket players who have to take on different roles and challenges for their team depending upon the situation of the match or the series.
Two names that come to mind over the course of cricketing history are Rahul Dravid, who along with being a specialized batsman and some stints as captain, also carried out the role of wicket-keeper so that India could play another specialist batsman in the 2003 World Cup, Jacques Kallis, one of the most underrated cricketers who deserves to be counted among the greats of cricket due to the challenging role of being a specialist batsman in the top order for South Africa to along with being a specialist bowler for the team as well.
But in current times, the distinction of best cricket team player personally for me goes to Ben Stokes. A left handed batsman, and a right arm fast-medium swing bowler, Ben Stokes is no doubt currently the best all rounder in the current world of cricket. Whether being called ‘Mr. Incredible’ by his captain, Joe Root to being dubbed the ‘Man With the Golden Arm’ by his fellow all-rounder teammate Chris Woakes, Ben Stokes is the man of all occasions for England. Andrew Strauss, England's former captain and opener and current Director of Cricket, has also said, “He is a No 1 guy, an absolute team man.” “We have realised just why he is the best possible team man”, a statement uttered by Zubin Bharucha, Director of Cricket, Rajasthan Royals. The IPL franchise which Ben Stokes represents.
From the Miracle of Headingley to the Cricket World Cup Final of 2019, Ben Stokes has come up trumps for his team whenever others around him have succumbed to the pressure. Even though there is also the low of the 2016 T20 World Cup final over where he was clubbed for 4 sixes by Carlos Braithwaite to win West Indies the World Cup, that match is also a testament to the regards he his held for his bowling prowess by his peers to be trusted with the final over in a World Cup Final.
Ben Stokes after his Miracle of Headingley knock in 2019.
He is the player his captain looks in need for a breakthrough in any format of the game. Even though he favors coming in at number six, he is shuffled around the top order depending upon the situation of the match. Along with all of this, Ben Stokes is currently one of the best fielders in the world of cricket with electrifying displays of fielding skills in the slips or at point. He is a proper 3-Dimensional player in cricket who is a joy to watch in any format of the game. He is currently ranked 7 in the ICC Test Batsman rankings. His analysis of the ongoing game scenario can be seen in the currently concluded England-West Indies test series. In the second match, he grinded out a 356 balls 176 in the first innings, before bludgeoning his way to 78 of 57 balls in the second innings with England in need of quick runs. In 2020, he has his best year of test bowling in terms of average and economy. He holds numerous records in English and world cricket. In the aforementioned series, Ben Stokes also took over the captaincy in the first test match in the absence of Joe Root. He is also the current no.1 in the ICC All Rounder rankings. All of these are a testament to a man who without dispute the best team player in cricket currently.