Ben Stokes played an important role in the Englands win in the tournaments. He scored 465 runs at an average of 66.42 in the World Cup. He made an unbeaten knock of 84 in the finals against New Zealand where he was awarded as the player of the match.
After his heroic performance in the tournament, Ben Stokes has been nominated for the ‘New Zealander of the Year’ award along with the New Zealand captain Kane Williamson.
Stokes unbeatable score of 84 made England stand on with a tie, scoring 241 for 8. To move on from the tie they went with a super over which had served nothing to finalize the match. However, England won the match based on the boundary count.
Ben Stokes had been listed in the nominees for the award, along with Black Caps captain Kane Williamson, Newstalk ZB host Simon Barnett, former league star Manu Vatuvei and Abdul Aziz, as reported.
The chief judge Cameron Bennett, who is going to present the award said both Stokes and Williamson had received several nominations after the World Cup final.
“He might not have been playing for the Black Caps but, having been born in Christchurch, where his parents now live, and with Maori ancestry, there are clearly a few Kiwis about who think we can still claim him,” – Bennett said.
England Prime Ministerial candidates Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt have already said that the all-rounder could be awarded a knighthood for his extraordinary performance in the World Cup.
The nominations for the award will close on September 15. A shortlist of 10 will be announced in December and the winner will be confirmed next February.
