5 Cricketers who lifted themselves after massive controversies and heartbreaks

3. Ben Stokes

Ben Stokes, arguably the best all-rounder in cricket at the moment, has been a frequent target of controversy off the field. He was allegedly involved in a brawl with two other men outside a nightclub. He also missed the 2017–18 Ashes and the second Test match against India due to the incident and the subsequent trial.  Subsequently, he suffered an injury which ruled him out of action and he lost sponsorships due to this incident.

After these incidents, he transformed into one of the greatest all-rounders of all time. In the 2019 World Cup, he played a pivotal role in ensuring England a World Cup victory. Stokes produced multiple standout performances with the bat in the group stage. In the final, he was named the ‘Player of the Tournament’.

The World Cup was followed by the Ashes and he was the obstacle between Australia and the Ashes trophy. England appeared to be on the verge of losing the Headingley Test after being bowled out for 67 in their first innings. Stokes hit 11 fours and eight sixes and guided England to victory with an undefeated 135* in a 359-run chase. His performance has been dubbed “one of the greatest innings in history.”