Ben Stokes OBE is a central part of the day-to-day operations at 4CAST.

Widely considered one of the greatest all-rounders of all time, the three-time Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World is a natural leader who has transformed his country's fortunes on the pitch by playing a daring style of explosive cricket.

England had only won one of their previous 17 Tests before the Durham and Chennai Super Kings all-rounder was appointed captain in April 2022.

He then inspired them to three Test series wins, including a debut clean sweep as Test captain against New Zealand, as England ended a one-year wait for a series victory.

A left-handed batsman, Stokes holds the Test world record for most runs in an innings at No 6 (258 v South Africa), the fastest England double century in Tests (163 balls) and, alongside Jonny Bairstow, set a record for the highest sixth-wicket stand in Tests (399 v South Africa).

Stokes also holds the record for total Test sixes, surpassing Brendan McCullum's 107 in February 2023. He fired England to their first-ever Cricket World Cup win in 2019 before scoring an unbeaten 52 to lift the T20 World Cup three years later.

Some of his finest on-field moments have come during the Ashes. First came the brilliant, full-stretch grab in the slips to remove Adam Voges as Australia collapsed to 21-5 on an extraordinary morning in 2015's fourth Ashes Test at Trent Bridge.

And he wrote himself into the history books with the bat at Headingley four years later.

Australia looked to be on the verge of retaining the urn after reducing the hosts to 286-9 but an unforgettable last-wicket union between Stokes and Jack Leach produced one of the greatest run chases ever.

Stokes hit eight sixes and 11 fours as part of an incredible 135 not out to single-handedly haul England over the finishing line when defeat had previously looked a certainty. His innings was dubbed the greatest ever played by an Englishman, and was rated by Wisden as the Greatest Hundred of the Decade.

The 2019 BBC Sports Personality of the Year crown followed, along with the ICC Men's Player of the Year award and an OBE in the Queen's New Year's Honours List.