A biography for Ben Stokeshasn’t been written yet.
“I don't know how you work on concentration. You are either born with it or you're not. And I was definitely not born with it.”
“I am always trying to get better as a player, no matter how things are going, always trying to expand my game and look into how I can hit more areas or bowl different balls or whatever it is.”
“For anyone to question our fight or desire I think is wrong. They should know how much it means to play for England - how much to wear the Three Lions on your chest.”
“When I get on the pitch I have to make sure I am getting hundreds and taking six-fors.”
“I used to be guilty of trying to get a wicket every ball, but I've learned the game is not that easy. That's come with experience.”
“There is nothing better than being there at the end and getting your team over the line.”
“Cricket and family are my life.”
“You can't feel your way into an Ashes series, you have to be switched on from ball one. That's just me in a nutshell.”
“You can't be happy about anything after a 5-0 loss.”
“On the field, MS epitomises calmness and, from a cricket point of view, has the best angle in terms of field placements.”
“I don't want to look back on my career and say, 'I wish I'd averaged this or that.'”
“I'd rather be remembered as a player who came on and impacted a lot of games for England. If I ever take a selfish thought-process of, 'I'm doing this for myself,' then things will be seriously wrong.”
“Being an instinctive player is great but there's time in the past where I've let how I'm playing at the time affect me, thinking I can play some big shots and I'd be alright.”
“My dad's a fitness freak himself.”
“Just being in the whole environment around the IPL, around the people that you ge to play with and against means it's going to be really, really good.”
“I am extremely nervous before anything. People who say they aren't nervous are telling a white lie. Nerves get you going, as you are playing for so much at the highest level.”
“I'm not going to hate anybody who beats me. But. I. Just. Don't. Like. Losing.”
“Being able to work with specialist coaches in Twenty20 cricket, I think my bowling has gone up another level.”
“It's always been there, that competitive instinct... I just want to win.”
“I've definitely done things to change my behaviour. There are certain things you can't do when you get to a certain level in what you do. When it gets to a certain time, you're a story to somebody. It is something I have taken on board.”