New Delhi, Sep 2 (IANS) Adelaide Strikers coach Tim Paine has revealed the club moved swiftly and aggressively to secure England Test captain Ben Stokes on a one-year deal for the upcoming Big Bash League season, with the all-rounder expected to open the batting and play a major role with both ball and leadership duties in Adelaide.

Stokes’ signing, confirmed on Tuesday, gives the Strikers one of world cricket’s most high-profile all-rounders for the entire BBL campaign. Paine said the club identified the England star as a player capable of influencing the side well beyond his on-field performances.

“He ticks so many boxes. There’s some intangible stuff with Stokesy as well, I think, around his leadership, his presence and commercially and fan engagement. So there’s not that many players I wouldn’t have thought of in the world that tick all of those boxes and are still at a really high level as a cricketer. So, yeah, we made that decision pretty quickly and pursued him quite aggressively,” Paine told reporters.

Paine also outlined where the Strikers are initially planning to use Stokes in their batting order, backing the left-hander to take on a new role at the top.

“He (Stokes) gives us a lot of flexibility,” Paine told reporters. “I think initially my chats around how we would use him would probably be opening the batting. I think he’s made to open the batting in Big Bash. I think the pacy, bouncy wickets in Australia really suit him.

“I’ve been on the end of a couple of these devastating innings in Test cricket where you feel like you can’t defend the field. He can play 360 (degrees). He’s got power. He’s got some real class.”

Although Stokes has spent much of his T20 career batting in the middle order, Paine believes the Australian conditions and the demands of the BBL could make the opening role an ideal fit.

“I think he can do a terrific job opening the batting,” Paine said. “Playing pretty normally, as we’ve seen in the past, he can flick a switch and he’s got amazing power. His skill level with the bat and his play of spin, he’s just a well-rounded, world-class batter. We think that’s probably the best fit for him and for us.”

The Strikers coach expects Stokes to provide another dimension with the ball, while his athleticism and competitive approach could make him an influential presence across all three departments.

“Then with the ball, we think he can surprise people. I’ve played against him. He’s a bit quicker than people think. He’s got great skill. He can swing the ball both ways. We feel like we can use him in all phases of the game with the ball as well. He’ll impact the field with his athleticism and just the way he competes.”

Beyond Adelaide’s own campaign, Paine believes Stokes’ presence could generate significant interest in the BBL, as the competition enters a period of discussion and uncertainty about its future structure.

“He’s someone that’s always drawn a lot of attention because of his personality and the way he plays the game,” Paine said. “I think we’ve seen in the last 24 hours just how much light he’s shone on the Big Bash just with his announcement. I’m sure that will only magnify when he lands in Adelaide and when he starts playing well and scoring runs and taking wickets.

Stokes is among the players joining the competition under the new direct-signings system, which has replaced the overseas player draft. Adelaide are also expected to add two more overseas players to their squad.

While welcoming the greater flexibility offered by the new system, Paine voiced his frustration over the late changes to the competition’s player-list regulations and the uncertainty clubs faced while planning their squads.

“I’m sure I speak for many people who are really frustrated with the time it’s taken to be given these rules and then to have rules completely changed,” he said. “We’ve been going about a list strategy for the last two years and then find out two weeks ago that you don’t have to sign overseas players and you can just do whatever you like.

“That’s frustrating. Hopefully now that it’s been decided, things are locked in and we get some consistent rules over the next few years.”

–IANS

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