England Test captain Ben Stokes has been crowned as the Wisden Almanack's leading men's cricketer in the world for the third time in four years.
England coach Brendon McCullum is convinced a long stint at the IPL will not worsen Ben Stokes' knee injury or prevent him writing his own Ashes "script" this home summer.
Ben Stokes encouraged his England side to feel "thankful" for their involvement in an instant classic of a Test match at Basin Reserve, rather than dwell on the disappointment of a gut-wrenching one-run defeat to New Zealand.
Ben Stokes insists his England captaincy will take precedence over his Indian Premier League responsibilities as he prepares for the Ashes.
Ben Stokes admitted expectations for his England team continue to be "blown out of the water" after polishing his remarkable captaincy record with another resounding victory in New Zealand.
A gambler's declaration from Ben Stokes paid off in style on day one of England's day/night Test against New Zealand, following swashbuckling scores from Harry Brook and Ben Duckett.