Ben Stokes' 3 most controversial comments on Twitter
England Test captain Ben Stokes is one of the most outspoken active cricketers in the world, and has been involved in his fair share of on-the-field and off-the-field spats and controversies.
Also active on Twitter, some of Stokes' comments have garnered a fair bit of criticism and attracted controversy. On that note, let's look at three of Ben Stokes' most controversial comments on Twitter.
#3 Clustered schedule as the reason for poor ODI form
The most recent one on this list, Stokes' tweet citing England's congested fixture list as the reason for England's poor ODI form, wasn't accepted by a large part of the Twitter community.
After England's defeat to South Africa in the 1st ODI of the ongoing 3-match ODI series, statistics show that the Three Lions have only had two wins in their last ten ODI games, a worrying stat in an ODI World Cup year.
One of the best white-ball sides in recent times, England's poor form in ODI cricket is surprising to see. Stokes announced his retirement from ODI cricket last year because he felt that it would be unsustainable for him to give his best for his nation in all three formats because of the workload.
#2 Hitting back at criticism for his no-ball against WI, 2015
The then 23-year-old Ben Stokes received flak for bowling a no-ball that cost the wicket of West Indies batter Jermaine Blackwood in a Test match in 2015.
With WI batting at 133/4, the wicket would've given England major inroads in the match, but Stokes had his foot well over the line, resulting in the umpire calling it a no-ball.
In response, Stokes hit back:
"Tweets about the no-ball flooding in, so tomorrow I won’t try, bowl 4 foot behind the line and bowl 70mph... then you’re all happy."
He added:
"Unfortunately when trying hard you can get tight on the line...apologies people, will try to make it up tomorrow."
#1 Twitter battle with Harsha Bhogle on the 'Mankad' controversy
Ben Stokes' reaction to Harsha Bhogle's views on the English media after outrage broke over Deepti Sharma running Charlotte Dean out at the non-strikers' end last year turned out to be a controversial one.
Stokes opposed the notion that it was just the English fans and media who were criticizing the dismissal.
He also cited the reaction and abuse he received after the overthrow that cost New Zealand the 2019 World Cup and questioned how culture could be brought into a cricketing opinion.