Sir Ian Botham and Ben Stokes: An Statistical Overview

Sir Ian Botham's Batting Stats: A Closer Look

Sir Ian Botham's Bowling Stats: Dominance with the Ball

Ben Stokes' Batting Stats (Up to July 2024): A Modern Powerhouse

Ben Stokes' Bowling Stats (Up to July 2024): A Versatile Threat

Batting Comparison: Sir Ian Botham vs Ben Stokes

To compare the 2 All Rounders it is important to look at both the batting and bowling performances of Sir Ian Botham and Ben Stokes. The batting numbers of both men are close. Ben Stokes has played 104 Test Matches so far which is 2 more Test Matches than Ian Botham and he is almost 1200 runs more at 6389 runs. The batting average of both these players are similar as well. Ben Stokes has a slightly higher average at 35.49 compared to 33.55 of Ian Botham . Ben Stokes has hit more sixes as he has hit 128 sixes in Test Cricket and he has inspired England to play attacking Test Cricket.

In ODI Cricket, both men have played a similar number of Matches and yet Ben Stokes has made over a 1000 runs more than Ian Botham. Sir Ian Botham has no Hundreds in ODI Cricket whereas Ben Stokes has hit 5 hundreds with a highest score of 182. He has been instrumental in England winning the 2019 ODI World Cup. As far as batting goes in both formats then Ben Stokes is far ahead of Sir Ian Botham and Ben still has a few years of cricket left in him. The difference in average between the two batters in ODIs is 18 as Ben Stokes averages 41.23 and Ian Botham has an average of 23.22.

Bowling Comparison: Sir Ian Botham vs Ben Stokes

As far as bowling performances are considered there is no competition as Sir Ian Botham is way ahead of Ben Stokes. Sir Ian Botham has taken 383 Test Wickets from 102 Test Matches. Ben Stokes has taken 202 Wickets from 104 Test Matches so far. Sir Ian Botham has taken more than 180 Test Wickets and he played 2 fewer Test Matches. It is similar in ODI Cricket as Sir Ian Botham has taken 145 Wickets in ODI Cricket and Ben Stokes has only 74 Wickets. Sir Ian Botham was a far better Bowler than Ben Stokes.

Longevity and Consistency: How Botham and Stokes Compare Over Time

Sir Ian Botham had a long cricket career as he played for 15 years between 1977-1992. He was the poster boy of English cricket during his playing years. Ian Botham made 11 of his 14 Test hundreds between 1977-1984. And in the next 8 years he only made 3 more Hundreds. The year 1982 was the best batting year for Ian Botham. He scored 1095 runs at an average of 49.77. He has taken 27 Five Wicket Hauls in Test Cricket. Out of these 24 had come by the year 1985. He had taken 215 Wickets in his first 44 Matches and 268 Wickets in his next 58 Test Matches. Sir Ian Botham had a Stellar first half of his career but he was unable to repeat the same level of consistency in the second half.

Ben Stokes is a different case as he is the captain of England currently and he is still a major part of the team. He started playing cricket in 2013 so it has been 11 years of him playing international cricket. Ben Stokes has hit 2 hundreds in a year in 5 different years. He has taken 4 wickets in an innings in Test Cricket 12 times. Ben Stokes has smashed 5 Test hundreds since the year 2020. He will continue to be the talisman for the England team. He has been able to perform at a consistent level despite his knee injuries. Ben Stokes has recently crossed the mark of 200 Test wickets which makes him in the club of 6000+ Test runs and 200+ Test wickets which even Ian Botham does not have. This should let us know about the consistency of Ben Stokes.

Captaincy and Legacy: The Leadership Impact of Botham and Stokes

Both Sir Ian Botham and Ben Stokes have been England captains in Test Cricket. Sir Ian Botham was the captain for 12 Test Matches between the years 1980 and 1981. He won no Test Matches, Ian Botham lost 4 Test Matches as captain and he drew the remainder of the Test Matches. Ian Botham was poor with the bat as he averaged 13.14 and he took 35 Wickets as captain. Sir Ian Botham was unable to become a good captain and he was not able to be a leader to the England team. And as far as his legacy is concerned, the 1981 Ashes series will be the one by which he will always be defined. Sir Ian Botham was the architect of England winning 3 of the Test Matches. In the Headingley Test , he took 7 wickets and he made 199 runs. England won the match by 18 runs.

Ben Stokes is the current England captain. He has been captain for 26 Test Matches and he has won 15 of those Matches. He has a win % of 57.89. He has lost 9 Test Matches and has drawn 1. The 26th Test Match has not had a result yet. He started to captain England on 8th July 2020. He introduced the concept of Bazball which means playing aggressive Test Cricket and batting like it is an ODI Match. He has also led from the front and backed his players. And his legacy will always be cemented after the 135* that he made in 2029 against Australia at Headingley in 2019. He has a last wicket partnership of 76 in which Jack Leach only made 1 not out. Ben Stokes hit 11 fours and 8 sixes to win this extraordinary match. The Final of the 2019 was yet another legacy defining moment for Ben Stokes as he made 84 important runs and England won the World Cup.

Conclusion: Botham vs Stokes – The Final Verdict

Sir Ian Botham and Ben Stokes are titans of English cricket, each defining their era. Botham’s heroics, particularly during the 1981 Ashes, made him a cricketing legend, renowned for his game-changing performances. Stokes, however, represents the modern game, with his match-winning feats in the 2019 World Cup and his impact as captain, driving England's resurgence in Test cricket.

While Botham's bowling mastery stands out, Stokes' all-round consistency and clutch performances in key moments give him a slight edge. Ultimately, both have left an enduring legacy, making England proud.