Ben Stokes politely refuses nomination for 'New Zealander of the Year' award
What's the story?
English all-rounder Ben Stokes has come out and politely announced that it wouldn't be right for him to be nominated for the 'New Zealander of the Year' award. Instead, Stokes asked the whole of New Zealand to get behind skipper Kane Williamson.
In case you didn't know...
Stokes was born in Christchurch, but he moved to England and joined Durham County Cricket Club to become a world-class cricketer.
Just a week and a half ago, on 14th July, he played a key role in England beating New Zealand in the 2019 ICC World Cup final to lift the country's first-ever title in this format. The 28-year-old scored a terrific unbeaten 84 to revive England from a precarious position, which helped them tie the regular match.
Stokes and Jos Buttler joined forces with England at a troublesome 86-4 to stitch together a 110-run partnership. Later on, Stokes also scored 8 out of the 15 runs that England managed to post in the Super Over.
He received the 'Man of the Match award' for all these efforts.
The heart of the matter
If all those accolades weren't enough, Stokes was also nominated for the prestigious 'New Zealander of the Year' award. New Zealander of the Year Awards Chief Judge Cameron Bennett felt a lot of New Zealanders still considered Stokes as one of their own.
"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's clearly a few Kiwis about who think we can still claim him," Bennett said.
New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson was also part of the nomination list. He had a terrific World Cup and went on to bag the 'Player of the Tournament' award. Bennett showered glowing praise on Williamson's stature and on-field conduct too.
"The way [Williamson] conducted himself, not only in the face of such devastating disappointment at Lord's but throughout the tournament, resonated powerfully with Kiwis from all walks of life," Bennett said.
"He's been the embodiment of the qualities we cherish as New Zealanders – courage, fairness, humility," he added.
Stokes has now turned down the nomination, but not before acknowledging his New Zealand ancestry in glowing terms. Speaking on his Instagram page, Stokes also said Williamson is more deserving of the award than him, and that the Kiwi skipper is a 'legend'.
What's next?
Others to have been nominated for the award include former rugby league player and Dancing with the Stars winner Manu Vatuvei, Christchurch shootings hero Abdul Aziz and Hepatitis C treatment pioneer Professor Ed Gane. The winner will be announced in February 2020 when the New Zealander of the Year Gala Awards are scheduled to be held.